For a Thousand Years
by Lady McClellan
Summary: Reworked, updated, and finally beta'd. An old story with a new ending on its way. Obi-Wan and OFC. Opposites attract, why do you think it worked for Han and Leia
1. Out of Chaos

**Summary**: This overly ambitious story tries to explain how Obi-Wan could spend 20 years in a cave on Tatooine. I tried very hard not to go AU from the movies, but then Lucas puts out this silly trailer with the stupid 'No Love' plot device. So in my universe the Jedi, with a strong connection to the Force and thus to life, are not going to be priestly about sex, quite the opposite. I'm certain other authors have tried to explain any or all of these concepts and characters, but any similarities are purely unintentional.

**Disclaimer**: The Star Wars universe and all related parts belong to the great and powerful Lucas. Don't sue me; I'm actually over-drawn and late on my student loan payment. All the other characters are mine and likely no one else would want them anyway.

**And**: This an old story, just look at the original posting date. I finally wrote the last chapter and my wonderful writing partner/beta made it comprehensible. Please send me feedback; I need to know if I'm just whistling in the dark here or if any of this is any good. Flame if you must, but I wear amour made of dragon scales.

For a Thousand Years Chapter One - **Out of Chaos**– In which Obi-Wan Kenobi finds being a Jedi is sometimes a pain in the butt 

The door opened and light spilled into the dim recesses of the bar. Smoke swirled in new eddies and waves and the patrons of the bar, their eyes accustomed to the dim light, were able to observe the newcomer without his being able to identify them. A squatty fellow with spiked green hair and oversize yellow eyes emerged from the light and scanned the room. He seemed to almost tumble down the stairs, his short legs having difficulty with the height of the steps. The fierce scowl that adorned his face and wicked scar that ran from his hairline to the corner of his mouth dissuaded any who might have laughed at him from doing so. He ignored the few pairs of eyes that turned his way, and headed for a booth in the far corner. Without waiting for acknowledgement or introduction from its lone occupant he hopped up onto the opposite bench and made himself comfortable.

"You are late." The hooded figure stated in flat, toneless basic that left him completely unidentifiable.

"Yeah, well, you'll live." The little man's voice sounded like he had breakfasted on broken glass and molten durasteel, and not for the first time. "So, the captain doesn't want me to waste any time…just how much tancho spice are we talkin' about?"

"A two year supply for at least 50 men."

"For fifty? Are you mad? We never do a first time deal for that much!"

"You've never dealt for that amount period, nor in spice for that matter. I'll pay in cash. No republic credits, straight Dombrek ingots should ease your employer's worry about a first time buyer."

Nervous laughter rolled across the booth, but the little man's eyes had lost their wary suspicion and now glowed with good-natured avarice. "Heh-heh, ahem, well, D-ingots are-, might be- I don't have the authority to decide that straight out. I'll have to get her – um, the Captain's approval."

"That would be agreeable. In fact, let's go see her- that is - the Captain, right now." The buyer stood and made as if to leave his place right that moment.

The little man jumped up in his seat and grabbed the other's sleeve to stop him. Then his permanent scowl faltered, and even though he appeared to be some one who would take on a wookiee without a second thought, he snatched his hand back as though he was afraid he might draw back a stump. Still he held his ground to keep the buyer from leaving. "No wait! I-I thinks she'll be agreeable, but I have to get her approval. She usually doesn't take these low-level meetings."

"Low-level? I could just leave now and take my ingots elsewhere." Though he didn't rais his voice, the sudden coldness in his tone was a palpable thing and the little man looked to see if his breath was suddenly visible.

"No, no sir! T-that won't be necessary. When I tell her what's at stake, she'll come."

For the space of ten heartbeats the stranger looked ready to leave, then the hood dipped slowly forward once in agreement. "Fine, I shall meet you both back here in two hours. Now go, hurry, and make sure you bring her back here. You will convince her this is the bargain of a lifetime." The figure lifted one hand and passed it slowly before the little man's face as he spoke.

"I will bring her back here. I will convince her that this deal is the bargain of a lifetime." The protruding yellow eyes were a little unfocused for a moment, but then he leapt from the booth and hurried out the door.

For just a minute the figure continued to stand, watching the door. All at once the strength seemed to go out of him, and he slumped into his seat again, reaching his hands out of his long sleeves and lifting them to the face he had kept hidden. When his hood fell back, a completely human face was revealed, and it would not have intimidated the little smuggler in the slightest. Beautiful eyes, green one moment, bright blue the next, fringed with girlishly long lashes topped an almost snubbed nose and a full, wide mouth that curled naturally into a smile at the corners. He would have appeared to be barely out of his teens if not for the full, neatly groomed beard that covered much of his face in a fierce copper profusion. His hair was a thick wavy mop, two shades lighter than his beard, and hung down to his shoulders. It was a kind, handsome face, on it's way to wisdom – not intimidating unless it was to threaten a certain overly-confident apprentice, hence the hood.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi knight and veteran of many tense political negotiations, put his face in his hands and sighed, "Force help me, sometimes I hate this job."

A sharp 'ping' pulled her eyes from the datapad in her hands. She glanced at the door, then back down to her work. "Come!" she called sharply.

The door slid open and the small, green-haired man strolled in, all confidence and smug superiority. He walked with care around a chair piled with data crystals and spare parts.

The entire room appeared to be on the edge of bursting with bundles of spice, plasfilm wrapped artwork and bins of old machine parts. It could go either way as to whether or not the room had once been an office, but was being forced into storage duty, or whether she had squeezed her desk into one of the storage rooms. Either way it was difficult to even find her in the mess. The masses of duraplas crates that threatened to overwhelm her desk completely blocked his view and thwarted his attempt to assess her mood. Bursin managed to hop up on a crate balanced on a chair, only to be filled with disappointment when he saw she wasn't even looking at him.

After an endless minute of silence, still without meeting his eyes she spoke, "Well?"

"He wants enough spice for two years – for fifty men." He grinned in anticipation of her outrage.

But she didn't even change her expression or stop what she was doing, let alone look up. "Like hell. Did you tell him to go fuck himself?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he offered to pay in Dombrek ingots."

Now he got his reaction. She sat up straight in her chair, her eyes blazing. He nervously watched her, lest a quick jerk of her body upset the delicate balance of goods and bury the two of them forever. "Ingots! How can anyone afford to pay for Eighty kilograms of spice in ingots?"

For a moment his eyes lost focus, but he spoke clearly, "He said he would pay in ingots and he said to bring you to speak with him."

She had looked away, speculating on the possibility of so much money, but she turned back abruptly at his tone, her eyes stabbing into his. "I don't meet with first time customers." She searched his face, wondering at the far-away look in his eyes.

He met her gaze directly, "He said he'd pay with ingots though – "

"Yeah, I heard you the first time." She tapped a long fingernail against her teeth and ran one hand through her messy, curly, chin length hair, "All right, fuck it! I could use a break anyway. You didn't say we would meet here did you?"

"Of course not! What I'm stupid now because I thought you might pry your lazy ass out of that chair for a few lousy ingots?"

She grinned and slipped out from behind the desk, elegantly weaving a path to his chair without making so much as a single container shift, "Oh, getting uppity on me now huh? You would know about lazy, you practically invented the word. Show some respect to the boss you little whomp-rat."

"Respect, Ha! - for a big ugly, gangly human girl? Not in a thousand years or if I got to watch you clean out this room!"

She glared down at him in mock indignation, "Ugly? I sir, am not ugly," She placed one hand dramatically to her chest and gazed at the ceiling like the worst kind of terrible over-actor, "I am what is referred to in women as 'handsome'."

Bursin rolled his eyes, meeting her gaze when she looked down her nose at him while she tried to hide the way her lips kept twitching into a smile. "Yeah, handsome, gotcha. For a human maybe you've got them slavering after you like gundarks, but on **MY** home, gangly doesn't begin to describe you!" He actually bent over and made retching noises.

"Well, since I can't win you over with my allure…" Glancing around at the mess that didn't even deserve the title of organized chaos She sighed dramatically and shook her head in mock sadness, "I guess I'll just have to live without your respect."


	2. Revelations

Chapter Two – **Revelations**

In which the smuggler discovers that her new client is more than she bargained for

Disclaimer – See Chapter 1

His eyes were open, but no one in the bar could tell that. Face once again hidden deep within the hood of his robe, he watched his surroundings on many levels. The room at large took up the bulk of his attention, keeping tabs on the various patrons, giving them little mental 'nudges' with the Force to keep them away from his table. The street outside occupied a second level as he scanned the street outside for the mind of his little green contact and the woman he was supposed to bring with him.

Obi-Wan had far more experience with diplomatic affairs, but the council felt that the sudden disappearance of tancho spice from the black market was important enough to warrant an investigation. The substance was not harmful of itself, in fact it barely qualified as a mild intoxicant, but it was a key component to a performance enhancement drug that mercenary armies used. Several of the other ingredients of the drug were also fast disappearing from the marketplace.

And two plus two equal four. He thought grimly. So off he had gone, a new, young knight, still younger in fact than any other knight in the order, and just possibly needing a break from being both teacher and father to the thirteen-year-old Jedi demi-god his departed master had saddled him with.

Master, I miss you terribly, but sometimes you could be such a bastard.

His conscious mind snapped back from that stray thought as the Force revealed the arrival of his contacts. Obi-Wan turned just enough to watch the entrance. The bar's smoky dark interior and brightly lit doorway continued to give the seated patrons that often crucial extra minute to examine new arrivals and he took the opportunity to study the little man's companion. Although he had expected a woman since the little man had let that information slip, he had then assumed she would be either ugly and menacing, or older than master Yoda. She was neither. Not a stunning beauty like the diplomas he had met or some of his fellow Jedi, she was still definitely easy on the eyes. The girl possessed a wealth of messy, chin-length, dark red curls that framed a heart-shaped face. Her chin was almost too pointed, but was saved from being too long by a wide, if somewhat thin mouth. Her nose tipped up at the end, stopping her chance of being a beauty by the standards of the day, but nice to look at. What truly surprised him was how young she was, maybe even younger than him. He had a hard time imagining a twenty-something pretty girl running a smuggling ring, even a minor one.

You said to live in the moment Master, and expect the unexpected, but still…

She was dressed as a smuggler though. A long, loose-sleeved tunic, covered by a close-fitted embroidered vest, pants with the ever-fashionable yellow side seem piping, tall boots, and the large hip-holstered blaster made up the ensemble of a wealthy smuggler ready for anything. The girl and her associate took seats across from him.

"So, here's da boss lady, you ready to make a deal?"

"Of course, as I said before – "

"Excuse me," She cut him off swiftly, "You wanted to see the boss, and here I am. Now you have to deal with me."

"Yes, your participation is appreciated, Captain-?"

"Delorolo, Captain Delorolo. And you would be?"

"The man with the money."

"Right." Her bright green eyes turned rock hard. "You wanted to see me, so now it's your turn."

He raised one hand, making the smallest of gestures at her, "You don't need to see my face, it's not important."

Crossing her arms over her breasts and narrowing her eyes, she attempted to turn him to a burned-out husk with her glare, "Yes I do. I'm not selling a commodity as hot as tancho is right now to some one I can't see face to face. I understand that you want enough spice for fifty men for two years? That'll be expensive in both money and trust."

It'll be easy Obi-Wan, these are cloth smugglers who got lucky with some hot spice. They'll be desperate to get rid of it. I hate you Mace and the rest of the council, even that miserable little troll. Obi-Wan wanted to lean back enough to beat his head against the wall, and he found himself comparing the color of her eyes to a particular green jewel that came from Alderaan… "How much will it cost to buy the spice and remain anonymous?"

"Fifteen thousand. Four right now and the rest on delivery." She quote the price as though it was on a handy mental list that she used every day and Obi-Wan began to plot the deaths of the council members in particularly violent and messy ways.

"Fifteen! I could almost go get it myself for that much! Twelve, and I'll give you two in advance."

"Yeah? Maybe you could, but could you get it back here by yourself, not bloody likely. Fourteen, and I'll settle for three in advance."

"Robbery! It can't be that difficult. Twelve-five, and you can have three in advance, I can't trust you anymore than that."

Fury raged through those green eyes and she surged to her feet. "I come down here in person to deal with a first time customer, because you lured me out with the promise of Dombreks. Then you insult me by saying I'm untrustworthy and offering me a pittance in said ingots. I'll sell you the goods for Thirteen-five, without your name – and believe me I'll be glad not to know it – and now I want five advance, or no one in this quadrant will do business with you again."

"Thirteen and I'll give you four in advance, but I think that's as reasonable as I'm going to be."

She shook her head. "It was worth a try I guess, nice to not do business with you." Standing, the fury making her eyes snap and a spot of red appear on each cheek she surged from the booth and turned away, her assistant following.

I hate you Master Yoda; I hope those pointy little ears of yours rot and fall off. They actually took two steps before the dark robed figure spoke again, softly, but clearly. " Thirteen-five then."

And it was as simple as that. The Captain returned to the table, spat on her palm and held out her hand. One emerged from the right sleeve of his robe as he stood, and grasped hers firmly. He read a feeling of surprise in her, but saw nothing on her face. Grinning inside his hood, getting just a tiny bit of his own back, he realized she was expecting to see a paw or a scaly-clawed appendage, not a human hand.

"I can expect delivery when?"

"Tomorrow. My associate will meet you here at midday to take you to the pick-up spot or tell you if delivery is delayed."

A leather satchel appeared on the table. It made a delightful clinking sound, and caused an even more delightful look of consternation on her arresting features when he said, "Four thousand. You may count or test it as you wish."

Goddess protect me! He's a fucking Jedi! Frozen in place for the moment, she could hardly believe her eyes. A moment before she had been standing in the hanger next to her warehouse, taking payment from this mysterious hooded figure who could have been anyone, when he grabbed her arm, stopping her in mid-sentence, and ordered every one to take cover. The heavy dark brown hooded robe he wore had come flying off and she had discovered that he was in fact human. In that instant, just before he shoved her behind a crate, she'd gotten her first good look at him. No wonder he wore that robe and hid his face! Even with the full beard he looked like a damned teenage kid!

A tremendous explosion blasted the south door into a million pieces, and twenty battle droids came tromping through the opening. The boy pulled out and ignited a **light saber** of all things. Blasts came from a four-meter wide field of fire to cover the hanger, but he didn't get a mark on him. Shots ricocheted off the blade and blew up droids, as the Jedi (for what else could he possibly be?) flipped up into the air, sailing over the enemy and coming down among them, twisting and spinning, deflecting and slicing. He shoved out with one hand and sent a half dozen of them smashing against a wall, breaking into pieces. In less than two minutes he stood in the middle of their smoking remains, the only sound the electronic hum of the saber. He shut it off, clipped it to his belt and walked calmly through the wreckage to her side. Extending a hand he helped her to her feet.

"Problems with your 'droids…Captain?"

"No, why do you ask…Jedi?"

She growled mentally, He's not even breathing hard, not even sweating, how is that possible?

The residents of the hanger began to crowd around the two of them. Smugglers were not easily surprised, but most of them looked like they'd just seen a hutt do the hula.

"Captain? - "One of her older pilots leaned close with a question in his eyes.

Meeting his gaze, then looking around the hanger she made one of those instant decisions that had kept her alive and in business. "Everyone! Grab what you can carry and get to a ship!" She activated her comlink, "Attention, this is Delorolo. Anyone not in the hanger activate emergency procedure Beta-9 and get to the hanger in ten or you are going to be left behind." Around the large cavern ships engines began to whine and in less than five minutes began to take off. Delorolo turned to the Jedi. "So?"

"So what?"

She huffed impatiently, "So is that it or are there more coming?" She gestured sharply at the still smoking heap of battle-droids that made a rough U-shape around them.

The Jedi closed his eyes and concentrated then looked down to meet her furious green ones, nodding. "Yes, and several of them are destroyers."

"Meaning?"

"They are equipped with double blaster cannon and personal shields."

"Which makes them a match for one measly Jedi I suppose?"

His raised eyebrow was his only reaction to the jibe. "I could handle three or four, but 10 or 12, while still protecting you? That's likely beyond even my considerable skills."

She blinked and then grinned at him, "Not cocky or anything are you? So our next option would be – run?"

"Yes, that would be an excellent idea."

"Do I have anyone left in the building?"

He scanned the hanger with his eyes, "You can't tell?" He nodded to her communicator.

"I can't raise anyone. Either it's all clear or some one is jamming me."

Again his eyes lost focus, "No one is left."

"Great! Let's get down to my ship then."

"**Down** to your ship?"

"Of course. What kind of successful smuggler would I be if I didn't have an escape plan?"

"Very well then, lead the way."

"With pleasure."

Darth Sidious paced furiously back and forth, his agitation coming through to the two smugglers even in his holographic form. "**All** of them escaped?"

The smuggler trembled, "Yes sir."

"And the spice?"

"They left most of it behind. We got two thirds of it."

"That is something at least. You are certain…the buyer was a Jedi knight?"

"He wore Jedi attire, fought with a light saber, and there are the 50 droids he destroyed single-handedly."

"What did he look like?"

"Like a Jedi." A wave of icy cold emanated from the hologram and the pair suddenly found it difficult to breath.

"H- h – ack – he was human, young had long reddish hair and a beard. He was of average height, more we could not say! Please – cough – my lord…"

The grip on their throats eased but did not entirely go away, as the hologram emitted a low growling hiss. "Kenobi! That boy is an irritant! Where is he now?"

"T – ta – to the best of our knowledge the Jedi escaped with the smuggler captain in her personal ship.

"Arrgh! Find them! He has interfered in my plans for the last time and she has outlived her usefulness. Do not fail me or your trading in this galaxy is finished!"

"Yes sire."

"Yes my lord!"

The hologram faded out and the lady smugglers former employees Bim and Agis, turned to regard one another. Bim grumbled, "Tell me again why we agreed to this deal?"

"Because we wanted to control Delorolo's operation and I have an old mother and you have a young son."

"Oh – Right."


	3. Sailing With the Captain

**Chapter 3**

**Sailing With the Captain**

In Which the Smuggler and the Jedi discover how small a moon base can be

Disclaimer – See Chapter 1

"What a piece of junk!"

"She only looks like junk, trust me she may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

Obi-Wan stared in horror at the saucer – shaped ship before him. Its primary component seemed to be rust. She doesn't dare clean any of that off; the whole thing will fall apart. But having little choice, he followed her up the ramp. Examining the internal configurations he couldn't hide his surprise. "It's a Corellian Falcon, isn't it?"

"**She** is a Falcon, yes." The smuggler didn't stop to chat, but headed straight for the cockpit.

He followed, "They made less than fifty of these. I read they were designed expressly for smugglers, and the Republic can overlook any number of Corellian sins, but building ships for illegal freight was a little over the limit."

"Only thirty-eight were actually finished, and the Republic seized twenty and destroyed them. I know of only five others that are currently in operation." Her hands flew over the controls and Obi-Wan watched through the cockpit window as the ceiling opened above them, and the little freighter rose smoothly and rapidly towards the darkening sky. "She's everything they say a falcon should be and I've made a few modifications myself. Strap in." Pulling down on the double levers in the middle of the controls, she shot them into hyperspace, the stars stretching into silver streamers against the black.

"Are you sure you know where you are going?" Obi-Wan queried, but without a trace of concern in his voice.

Jerika looked up from the controls to watch the Jedi's reflection in the view port. Her eyes sparkled in wicked delight as the frustration that he could disguise in his voice, marred the perfect calm of his face. She had set course for one of her hideouts without telling him where they were going, and he seemed to accept this. However, the Jedi was used to being in charge; his fingers twitched when she'd taken the ship's controls. Still, he was able to ignore all attempts to get under his skin, and no one had ever been so diplomatic when trying to worm information out of her in her life.

He ate the meal she had prepared with apparent relish and jumped up to assist her in clean up of the tiny galley. "You are quite an excellent cook Captain."

She would have grinned wickedly if not for the complete sincerity in his voice and on his face. "Why thank you very much Mr. Jedi." She said in an attempt to fish for information herself. Surprise colored her cheeks when he answered her.

"Kenobi."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi." He actually bowed to her formally. Having never met a Jedi before she could only conclude this was how they introduced themselves, and she just barely kept from snickering. Instead she held out her hands, palms up and inclined her head with a small nod.

"Jerika Lilamara Solo Delorolo, pleased to meet you." He nodded back to her and being the diplomat he was, laid his hands over hers, his palms far more callused than she'd expected.

"The pleasure is all mine Captain. Which of that formidable list do you prefer to be called by? Captain Delorolo? That is doubtless your official title. Jerika seems a bit too familiar and Lady Solo too formal…ah, perhaps Lilamara? I do believe that you and the younger goddess of Corellia have a great deal in common." The sudden wicked smile that appeared in the midst of that red forest covering his face completely disarmed her. In an instant he went from the emotionless warrior to handsome charmer. He quite took her breath away.

I was wrong. He wears that beard so women can function in his presence.

But Jerika had survived a long time in a profession where she had to keep her wits about her in any situation. In spite of the fact that she was unable to tear her eyes away from his, she managed to pull back her hands. "I'll answer to any of them Jedi Kenobi, but most people just call me Jerika." Barely able to, she turned away and finished cleaning up.

Now, after four of the longest hours she'd ever experienced on board the Falcon they had come out of hyperspace and his agitation had returned. Clearly he had no idea where they were. She decided to relent and let him in on her secret.

"What kind of smuggler would I be without a few unknown bolt holes?"

"Alright then, where are…" He turned to look at the navigation computer, "Sulren three? There is no Sulren three."

"There was. See that narrow asteroid field out there? Three thousand years ago that was it. Then a meteor happened by and suddenly - no more S-3, but its moon is still intact."

"Doesn't look like it has an atmosphere though."

"Nope, but it did have an underground tritanium mine several years back. When the ore ran out it was abandoned of course."

"Of course."

"And it was a small operation, too small for the major freight lines to notice."

"But large enough to be profitable to smugglers."

"Until the tritanium ran out."

"And it went out of business -?"

"About a year ago, I got it for almost nothing." She grinned triumphantly. Deftly she guided the freighter to an unremarkable spot on the surface and gently landed. Swiveling around to her left she punched in a code and spoke into the pick-up for a voiceprint. There was a pregnant pause, a loud clunk, a sharp drop, and then the ship began to descend below the surface.

The ramp lowered and Jerika briskly trotted to a bank of computers imbedded in the bare rock of the far wall of the cavernous hanger to check the hideout's status. Obi-Wan followed more sedately, his senses on full alert.

Together they said, "There's no one else here." For the first time since meeting, they shared a grin.

Heading for the doors on the far side of the hanger she called out, "Come on, there are crew quarters through here. We can see if anyone has tried to contact me and plan what to do next."

"Likely a good idea." He followed her through the doors into a fairly comfortable looking common area. Like the hanger, the walls were simply hollowed out of the moon's rock, but in here, they had been smoothed down and squared off. Five tables were ranged around a room that measured about 15 meters across, about half the size of the hanger they'd just left. Along with Sabac and Holochess boards, there was a food preparation station, two communication terminals, and four repair bays for weapons and droids. He went at once to one of the communication terminals to report back to the temple. Before he could dial her hand slapped the terminate button.

"What the fu-?"

"Since when does Jedi wisdom include sending out a transmission the minute you get to a safe haven?"

"We were not followed, I would have detected them, and I will be using a coded channel."

"Right. And how do we know our enemy isn't **in** the temple?"

His eyes widened and his face went red, his mouth compressing to a thin line. She took a step back, shocked and a little frightened at his sudden fury. Until this moment his emotional reactions had been nearly undetectable; slight amusement and mild irritation were the most she'd seen. It had put her off guard, half expecting him not to react to anything she did or said. Now he stood, looming over her, reminding her that Jedi or not everyone has his or her limits.

"No Sith could exist in the temple! We would know immediately! **I** would know immediately! Never would I endanger you by making an unsafe communication."

A dozen smart-ass comments and clever comebacks rippled through her brain, but none of it would come out. He has the most fascinating eyes I've ever seen. They shift back and forth from green to blue and now they're both. Maybe he's not completely human, maybe one of those races who can cross breed…

Her silence only frustrated him further, "Well?" Then he realized that he'd backed her into the wall and had one hand braced on either side of her. Stepping back, he pulled his emotions in under tight control. "I-I'm sorry, forgive me, I didn't mean to lose my temper."

Damn he smells good! "No, no need to apologize, it was my fault. Call it an automatic response. When I'm running from something I wait to be contacted rather than sending out a signal that announces my presence. But I don't have any one I can call on or need to report back to."

"A wise policy, I apologize for my over-reaction." Mmmm…those eyes, like green jewels. And the shape of her mouth – control Kenobi, remember, that's what the Force is there for. He inclined his head, resumed his seat before the terminal, and dialed his code into the keyboard. "My transmission will be brief, I promise."

She stared at his squared shoulders in annoyance and then spun on her heel and went to a computer on the far side of the room and began checking for communications received. I am not attracted to him! That is not why I have been teasing him, its not! He's bigger than he looks up close, much wider at the shoulder and those eyes…oh Goddess please no!

A sleepy-looking Mace Windu appeared on the screen before Obi-Wan. He came instantly awake when he saw who was calling. "Kenobi! Where are you? The reports from Daltair are that a droid **army** destroyed a hanger in the middle of the spaceport!"

"I'm fine Master Windu thank you for asking, and how are you? And I really wouldn't call it an army, thirty 'droids hardly count as-"

Windu grimaced and interrupted, "I can see you are fine. Why did you not contact us?"

"I believe I am – "

"This was to be a covert mission young man! What have you done!"

Obi-Wan slowly counted to ten and sighed, "Master I was about to complete the deal with the _erm_ – Captain, when a large group of droids arrived. All the _ahh_ – Captain's people got away while I took care of the droids, then I detected a much larger force en route that included several destroyers and decided it would be unwise to challenge them alone. The Captain sent her people away in her freighters, and she and I escaped in her personal ship and came here to one of her – _uhh_ – supply depots.

"Do you believe the…_Captain_ (Mace paused the same as Obi-Wan did before saying the title and just a hint of a smile lighted his features) is in danger from whoever attacked the spaceport?"

"It seems a logical assumption. Whoever else wanted the spice would want to destroy anyone who might have had some way of identifying them. Even if the _Captain_ didn't get to see the other buyer she might have heard something. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't feel safe knowing she's alive."

"Then she will need your protection for the immediate future. And you would now be recognized on the planet, so stay where you are and focus your investigation on what information the _Captain_ (again with the pause that made Obi-Wan want to shove his fist through the screen) may possess."

"You believe a smug – one of her people leaked the information?"

"It is the best explanation. Do what you can to find the traitor, it may be our only lead in this mess to finding exactly who wanted that spice."

"Yes master."

"Report back with any leads. I will tell Anakin that you have been delayed. We shall expect your return in seven to ten days unless you tell us other wise."

"Yes Master."

"Windu out."

Obi-Wan watched the screen go dark and closed his eyes as he attempted to find his calm center. Becoming a knight had given him a new understanding of just why his master had been so frustrated with the Jedi council. In fact, he now found it difficult to believe that **any** knight actually managed to get along with the council. He focused on a short form of meditation he been forced to adopt, since becoming a knight and a master all at once. Reaching out to the Force he used its calming effect to get past the frustration of Mace's amusement, his own feelings of confusion and the memory of her face, inches from his own, and the shape of her mouth.

Delorolo jumped when she felt the Jedi's hand on her shoulder. "Force! Do you always sneak up on people like that?"

"I walked as I always do. If you were not paying attention that is your problem."

She glanced over her shoulder at him and saw the glint of amusement in his eyes. Oh no, you're not going to get the jump on me "You must be fun at parties." She felt satisfaction as the small comeback caused him to blink and then smile just a little in acknowledgement of her rejoinder. "I've no word from any of my people yet at my message stations, no one has reached a safe haven, or they are wisely choosing not to communicate yet." She smirked at his grimaced reaction to the little jab. "Everything ok at the temple? You get chewed out for being out past curfew?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about-"

"I'll bet you did, those guys are probably pretty strict." Raising her arms above her head, she yawned, a little too obviously, and perhaps the stretch pulled her clothes tight in certain strategic places, but that was just an accident, wasn't it? "Well, I'm beat." She stood slowly. Smiling gently, she noticed how his eyes flicked back and forth between her body and her face. Ah good, he is human after all "There are crew quarters through the door, you can take any of the empty rooms. Goodnight Jedi Kenobi." Unable to resist the temptation she patted him condescendingly on the cheek and walked to the door. It slid open at her approach and she disappeared through it.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Obi-Wan swore out loud in several languages. He touched on her parentage, her intelligence and her personal hygiene. It helped. While it was not the method of calming relaxation he was trying to teach his apprentice, it had gotten him through a number of Qui-Gon inspired frustrations during his own apprenticeship. Being able to calm himself, he took the chair she had been using and cleared his mind. He gathered the Force around himself and examined every meter of the little base. All clear, no one was there except a sleeping smuggler and a Jedi trying to ignore his libido. With a last look around Obi-Wan stood and went to find his own bed.


	4. Dinner and Dancing

Chapter 4

**Dinner and Dancing **

In which teasing goes too far.

Obi-Wan came rocketing back to full awareness because of the smell. It was strong, nearby, and delicious. Throwing back the blankets he climbed to his feet and hurried into the main room. The captain stood in the galley, dishing mounds of food onto two plates. She eyed his disheveled appearance with amusement, but refrained from commenting upon it. "Whatever faults you may have Kenobi, bad timing isn't one of them." She gestured to a seat and set a heaping plate before it. "You're just in time to skip the work."

"Your talents in this area far exceed my own Captain. Any assistance I might provide would likely be more of a hindrance than any real help." So saying, Obi-Wan seated himself and attacked the steaming portions with gusto. Taking the stool beside him, Jerika watched him inhale his food and smiled with that special enjoyment reserved for cooks whose efforts are appreciated. He finished before she was more than half way through her smaller portion.

"May I?" He waved his plate at the leftovers on the stove.

"Of course, I'm used to feeding hungry spacers. Which is all to the good since I had no idea Jedi were bottomless pits."

As Obi-Wan refilled his plate he smiled, this morning seemingly unaffected by her teasing. "Often I am required to go without food for long periods of time. When food is available, I fill up." Then he grinned, that terrible heart-stopping smile, suddenly so charming with his messy bed – hair and twinkling eyes that she froze with the fork halfway to her mouth. "And the food in the temple is never this good." He was pleased and more than a little surprised to see her blush.

But she regained control quickly, swallowing and smiling, "You're welcome."

"See what I mean about the increasing traffic in Tancho spice? And these other ingredients are all for performance enhancement." Obi-Wan gestured to the screen in the workstation before them where they had gone after cleaning up the dishes.

She nodded but didn't look pleased, "And it's not centered on one or two systems, it's spread all over the galaxy…damn-it! You're right, it does look like some one is building an army." She pulled up another screen. "Certain industrial-grade metals are fast disappearing too! But who'd want to start an inter-galactic war? The Republic has problems, plenty in my book, but it's the most workable system we have – war won't fix those problems."

"That's why going through your database is so vital. We need to trace these shipments." His face was hard with concern and determination. And as she watched him he lifted one hand and stroked his beard, his expression lost none of its seriousness, but the gesture was charming nonetheless. She found herself wanting to sigh and just watch him for the next thousand years or so.

Handsome, easy to tease, likes my cooking, smart – why oh why does he have to be a Force-damned Jedi knight hero! Goddess you are cruel! She sighed out loud and quickly returned her eyes to the screen to cover the real reason for her sigh. Thus she missed his glance when she sighed, and the way his gaze lingered on the smooth column of her neck. She spoke without looking up, "Then we better keep searching."

The communication terminal chime pulled Anakin from his meditation just as he was getting started. Leaping to his feet, the gangly teenager ran to the unit set in the wall and a holo image of his master appeared before him.

Anakin bowed, "Greetings Master. How are you? You're not hurt are you? Did you get the spice?"

"Anakin-"

"Master Windu said you had to escape with a smuggler-"

"Padawan-"

"Is she scary? Most of the smugglers on Tatooine were really nasty-"

"Anakin Skywalker be silent!" The boy froze, looking surprised and embarrassed, "I am quite well, no injuries, and no, I did not get the spice." Obi-Wan took a deep breath and let go of his anger, he'd gotten plenty of practice in the last four years. "As for the captain who assisted me – Jerika, this is my apprentice Anakin Skywalker. Padawan, this is Captain Delorolo." Anakin watched as the smuggler appeared beside his master. Like Obi-Wan he was surprised to see that the smuggler was young, human, and very pretty. Not like his Padme of course, no one was, but still-. He recovered from the shock and bowed formally.

"I am pleased to meet you Captain."

"Likewise Jedi Skywalker."

Anakin flushed with pleasure. At thirteen years old he was called 'apprentice' and 'padawan', never the actual title of Jedi.

"Your teacher has told me much about you. I hear you are quite an, oh, 'energetic' student."

"Master!"

Obi-Wan just managed to keep any show of emotion from his features.

Anakin fumed visibly, and Jerika could already see him planning Obi-Wan's doom. Much as the idea of leaving the Jedi to his apprentice's tender mercies appealed to her, even Jerika could not be that cruel. "Relax Anakin, he has said nothing but good of you."

The boy blushed, "I, uh, um, Captain I do my best."

She smiled, "I'm certain you do. No doubt Jedi Kenobi has reason for all the glowing descriptions of your performance."

Under such praise the agitation melted from his face, "I certainly hope so Captain."

"Ani, please tell Master Windu that the Captain and I have not yet completed the investigation of her sources. We should have some information for him in a day or two."

"I shall tell him my master."

"I'll contact you when we have new information or there is a change in plans."

"Good hunting Master." The boy grinned impudently.

Obi-Wan's grin answered, "May the force be with you Padawan." He disconnected the transmission.

"Well, looks like that one's a handful." Jerika grinned wickedly and raised her eyebrows; "I bet he drives you crazy."

"Anakin is a good student, he's very intelligent." Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly.

"Top of his class too?"

"Yes in spite of starting years later."

"Force, how is it you're still sane?"

"I'm not sure."

They locked eyes and simultaneously burst out laughing. Obi-Wan recovered first, "Ah – ha –heh – Some days it's all I can do not to grab the little sithspawn and choke the life out of him."

"And sometimes you love him so much it feels like a physical pain to know he's not really your son."

Obi-Wan's mouth fell open and he stared at her in amazement. On the surface she was a rough-and-ready fighter, clever, carefree and not overly thoughtful, but then she'd come out with these incredibly perceptive assessments that left him stunned.

"He's ahead in his classes, so he's a hero to some and others are terribly jealous." She continued with her analysis, "He finishes every task you set him, even with extra, so he has time on his hands to get into mischief. One minute he's putting glue in your boots, the next he's throwing his arms around you, just happy you're his teacher."

He nodded mutely.

"You're the first person who chose to love him for himself. Even his parents loved him because he was their son."

"Mother only, no father, and they were slaves when my master found the boy." His voice was dry, devoid of emotion, but terrible sadness and anger lingered in his eyes – and perhaps, just a little shame.

"No!" She leapt to her feet and clenched her fists at her sides, growling the angry denial. "Wretched slavers are turning this galaxy into a toilet!" Jerika paced back and forth, muttering angrily to herself. She paused and kicked a nearby chair. It fell over and slammed into the low wall that divided the food-prep area from the main room. Obi-Wan watched in fascination as she quickly got herself once more under control. Being a master practitioner of meditation, he was always fascinated by the methods used by non-Jedi.

When she resumed her seat beside him, Obi-Wan stared in shock. The fury of a minute before had vanished and now her eyes were filled with a compassion that previous experience told him this cynical smuggler was not capable of. Even more disturbing, this compassion appeared to be mostly for him, not for the slaves she had been lamenting only a moment ago. She covered one of his hands with her own. "The poor boy! Trying to live up to this life you lead after surviving as a slave, I don't know how that's possible. And it makes it doubly hard for you too, having to train him and be harsh with him and wanting only to comfort him."

His first instinct was to shake off her hand and dismiss her concern, to appear the stoic warrior and protect himself from her wit. Instead he covered her hand with his other and squeezed them together lightly, closing his eyes, just for a moment taking comfort as a person, not a Jedi.

"So now you are his father, and he loves you but he tests your love every day."

"In as many ways as he can think of." He nodded, sighing.

"Your council sent you away to give you a little break as much as to accomplish this mission, didn't they?"

"Perhaps." He straightened and released her hand, "That doesn't mean the business at hand is not important." Climbing to his feet, he squared his shoulders and she watched him visibly become the Jedi once again. "But nine hours of research is enough for one day, let's have something to eat."

The young man leaned back with a sigh. I'm going to get fat! No one cooks like this at home! She's not really like any woman I've ever known. All the women he had known were fellow Jedi or diplomats. The former were calm, confident, and gentle. The latter were polished, professional, and smooth. Jerika seemed to have a galaxy's worth of confidence, but there the similarities stopped. He never knew what she would do or say next. One minute she was intelligent and thoughtful, the next relentless in her attempts to get under his skin, quick to anger, quick to forgive, and she was so passionate - about everything! In short, she fascinated him.

Her voice ended his introspection, "Delorolo to Kenobi, come in Kenobi – is this frequency jammed?" She reached a hand out and tugged his ear.

"Pardon me, I was thinking, what did you say?"

"Jedi or not, you are definitely a _guy_." She drug out the pronunciation of the last word, while rolling her eyes dramatically, then turned back to the kitchen.

Obi-Wan jumped up to help her, "You were in doubt of this?" He took the towel she offered and then the dish to wipe the sanitizer off it.

She looked him up and down, "Not really, but one wonders sometimes. What had you so lost in thought that you didn't hear me?" There was that expression again. The faint smile and laughing eyes that said he was there solely for her entertainment.

Enough of this, time to turn the tables "You actually." He reached to take the next dish from her hand, but it wouldn't budge. Their gazes locked and her lips parted, then she lowered her eyes and released the dish. He nearly dropped it, but recovered in time and smiled. One up on her at last, how marvelous.

Turning from the sink, she moved to wipe down the counters, deliberately keeping her back to him. He sighed in frustration and set the last dish in the cupboard. When she still ignored him he went to one of the repair bays and removed various tools, unclipping his lightsaber from his belt, he took the weapon apart, carefully cleaning each piece.

"I never knew you had to do that." Recovered from her earlier embarrassment, she reached out to pick up a ring-shaped section, but he caught her hand before she could touch one of the parts and, without looking up, carefully set her hand down on the table, then had to fight the sudden urge to continue to hold it.

"Do not touch any of these Captain, please."

"Why not?"

He resisted the temptation to tell her 'Because I said so.' "Because each piece is attuned to my signature within the Force."

"What the hell does that mean?" Nonetheless, she pulled her hand back from the part and held both hands clutched to her middle.

"I perform a light meditation whenever I take the weapon apart. When I constructed it I used a deep mediation so the entire construction would be attuned to me. No one else can repair it." He finished cleaning the pieces and reassembled the handle. Once the weapon was whole again he stood and thumbed it on. The brilliant blue blade described an arc around his head as he tested it out to make sure it was in working order again.

Jerika stepped back, her eyes watching closely. He noticed her attention and decided to see if he could put her off guard again. With slow, precise steps, he moved through the first lightsaber kata, then the second. Obi-Wan progressed through all seven levels, each faster and more complex than the last.

She relaxed against the wall, her stance unconcerned with her arms loosely folded and one foot extended the other bent back, but her eyes were locked on his every move. The only sounds in the room were the hum of the blade and the slap of his boots on the floor, echoing off the high rocky ceiling. The final move was a twist into a triple backwards summersault and he added a turn, giving more thrust to his last leap so that he landed facing her, the beam of light mere centimeters from her face.

They stood like that, eyes locked over the blue glow until he flicked the switch and the blade disappeared.

"What an incredible performance, that was amazing." For once she appeared truly impressed, her eyes bright and her smile wide.

Obi-Wan bowed.

"You're not even sweating!" She stepped up to him, searching his face.

"Of course not. That's the point of the exercise, to use the Force, not just your muscles."

"Just-just beautiful, like a dance. Is there a version where two people do it?"

"Yes, that's how we learn to fight an opponent."

"Or work together?"

"Exactly."

"So, you know how to dance with a partner."

"Dance with a – " His eyes narrowed, "Captain, I believe you are trying to flirt with me."

"And doing a pretty piss-poor job of it if it only rates as 'trying'."

Having clipped the saber to his belt, Obi-Wan's hands were free. He closed the short distance between them and closed his hands around her upper arms, pinning them to her sides. "You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met." He leaned down and kissed her, his lips almost bruising hers. When he broke the kiss she grinned, only making him madder.

"And do you usually kiss the women who annoy you? How annoying do I have to be to get you to sleep with me?"

His eyes bulged and his face went dark red, making her nervous. The hands that held her arms were powerful, she could feel it. Oops, maybe making him angry was a bad idea.

Obi-Wan saw the fear surge up behind her eyes at the same moment he realized how tightly he was holding her arms. He let go, embarrassed and angry with himself, lowering his eyes to the floor, "Forgive me Captain, I'm not sure what came over me…"

She grabbed his retreating hands, "No don't – " He looked up again and she saw the anger had vanished, replaced by fear, fear of the feelings she could see were welling up inside him as they threatened to overwhelm her. "Don't let go, please."

He shook his head, "No, I can't do this, y-you and I are so –"

"Different?" She jerked away from him then, turning her back and folding her arms, "Yes we are. Go then. You have all the information you need! There's another ship here, take it and go back to your safe little life. I had no idea Jedi were such cowards!" she hissed with fury.

"Cowards!" He snarled, catching one of her arms and whirling her back to face him, "I am a Jedi, I'm not afraid of anything!"

"You are!" She yelled back, "You're afraid of me! Afraid of your feelings and the inconvenience they might cause you!" Jerika squirmed and tried to pull away.

"No." He held her with his left arm and reached up with his right hand to run his fingers down the side of her face. "The only thing I'm afraid of is hurting you."

She froze, feeling his hand tremble against her cheek, "I'm pretty tough."

"Yes, I know." He bent and kissed her again. This time his lips brushed lightly over hers, once, twice, then pressed down, capturing her mouth to stroke her lips with his. Her lips parted and he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, and then let his tongue pull gently on hers. When their lips parted he tilted his head, rubbing his nose against hers, turning to kiss her cheek, bending to slide his mouth down her neck to the base of her throat, lingering in the hollow.

"Oh my, oh, O-Obi-Wan…"

"Ssshh, hush Captain, no matter how much fun they are, no more arguments tonight."


	5. Pillow Talk

**Chapter 5**

**Pillow Talk**

In which Obi-Wan listens to Qui-Gon's advice.

Mmmmm – she smells good Obi-Wan thought upon awakening. He turned his head to examine the woman who slept on his chest. Asleep, the look of sarcastic amusement left her face and she looked serenely sweet, not unlike a certain padawan of his acquaintance. He lifted one hand and played with the curls above her eyes. She must cut them herself, he mused, seeing how no two curls were the same length. An odd feeling of contentment colored all his thoughts. Closing his eyes again he calmly centered himself and reached out to the Force. The feeling of contentment there only blossomed into one of peace, serenity and oneness. However inconvenient this affair might be, it was apparently the will of the Force. Oh well, I guess I just have to go with my feelings on this one. Somewhere Obi-Wan knew, his master was laughing.

And what was Jerika feeling now? He brushed her mind with a light touch. Contentment, happiness and satisfaction were predominant. **Satisfaction**? Yes, smug satisfaction, even accomplishment colored her thoughts. He didn't know whether to be insulted or pleased. It was not the best of feelings to see one's self as a conquest. Faced with the possibility of being stuck here alone with him for a week, she'd decided to treat him as both companion and entertainment. His normal function as Jedi protector had never entered the equation. She'd discovered that he was fun to tease, and accepted him as an amusing companion to help pass the time. Flirting with him was a step up in the overall teasing scheme – that it had led to sex was just a bonus. At least that was what she was thinking on the surface.

But underneath that satisfaction was a deeper feeling, one that threatened to outshine all other feelings and motivations, and it was a great deal scarier than being some one's conquest.

On the flight to the little base he had not enjoyed her company at all. She teased him at every opportunity, making fun of his beard (don't tell me, let me guess, its forbidden to use the Force to find your razor), his clothing (Is that the only clothing you own? _Of course not, I have several other sets._ And it's all like that? _Yes, naturally._ Bleh! I had no idea Jedi took a vow of ugliness.).

It was four hours of hell.

Besides picking on him there was the fact that she wouldn't let him near the ship's controls. Granted, it was her ship, but who was rescuing whom here? And after she'd set them in hyperspace, to an unknown destination, she'd left the cockpit, gone back to the main cabin, and fixed them a meal. Well all right, he had to admit to himself, that that had been quite nice. And when they had introduced themselves he had felt it too, the spark. But he had felt attraction before, how had it been different this time? And it had only been that one moment, because then she began grilling him with more questions than his apprentice, interspersed with more teasing. It was all thoroughly annoying.

And now she was sleeping with her head on his chest.

Qui-Gon had told him the only thing more difficult to understand than the Force was a woman.

"Avoid them as much as possible, especially in your personal life."

"But Master, I thought you liked women."

"I do, quite a number of them, and quite frequently."

"But – "

"But I have been a Jedi knight for more than 30 years. You are still an apprentice. Wait until you are a full knight, there will be plenty of time after that."

Obi-Wan, who was 18 at the time, turned pale at his master's recommendation. "I think I shall turn to the dark side if I have to wait as much as ten years to have sex Master."

Qui-Gon turned so red he was nearly purple, "I didn't say not to have sex Obi-Wan! Oh Force spare me – " He had to sit and laugh for a moment, while Obi-Wan had stood fuming and tapping one foot in frustration, "I meant don't get involved in a relationship."

He'd thrown his arms down in relief. "Oh! Well of course! I'm in training, I don't have time for such things."

"No you don't, but I know you."

"And?"

Qui-Gon sighed, "You are a good-hearted young man, but you don't have the greatest control of your emotions, so despite a serious commitment to your training I believe you could easily become attached to a woman. Just don't mistake physical attraction for emotional attachment."

Very good advice Master, but what am I feeling now? She was so much more that just a pretty girl. Arrogant, irritating, and a rebel was what she was. Also honest and caring, able to see through to the feelings he kept deep inside, she was able to see him as a man first, and a Jedi second.

The matter suddenly became infinitely more complicated. Jerika turned her head and opened her eyes; those marvelous jade green orbs regarded him as a sleepy smile wreathed her face. She scooted higher up his chest, then folded her arms, and placed a kiss just above his left nipple. She laid her cheek on her hand while the other played idly with the coppery hairs between his pectorals.

"You know, I've had some good sex before, but nothing like that." She lifted one arm and bent her head to use her tongue to make wet circles around that same nipple, then did it to the other, pausing only to grin wickedly.

"Oooooh! Uh, Captain…"

"Captain!" Her head jerked up and she narrowed her eyes, "I was 'Sweetheart' last night." He caught a hint of sadness in that direct gaze and a mental sigh. Another one, Fun all night, but in the morning they realize what they've done She sat up, clutching the sheet around herself, shoulders sagging.

"Wait. You're not going anywhere."

"I'm not? Who's going to stop me? Certainly not you – _Jedi_ Kenobi."

One other thing Qui-Gon had told him suddenly came to mind. "If the Force does ever lead you to a relationship with a woman Obi-Wan, never show any doubt when you're in bed. Never let a woman think you regret one moment you spent with her."

His arms went tightly around her and turned her to face him. "Yes, Darling, me." Pulling her close he kissed her thoroughly.

When they paused she still appeared slightly unconvinced. Obi-Wan stroked the planes of her face, tracing the lines of her brows, and running his thumb along her lower lip as he whispered, "Just because I'm surprised to wake up with you, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself, or want more, or don't care about you."

"After last night you were surprised?"

"I've had sex exactly twice in the last five years. Yes, I was a little caught off guard." This change in her from complete self-confidence to worried uncertainty was endearing. He kissed the end of her nose, firmed his hold around her shoulders, slid one arm beneath her knees, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and standing, lifted her and took her with him towards the bathroom.

"Hey!"

"What? We have an investigation to continue, can't laze around in bed all day can we?"

"No, I suppose not." Jerika looked downcast, but then her eyes brightened, twinkling with a green fire that made Obi-Wan's knees weak, "You wouldn't be against a long hot shower would you? I think I'm extremely dirty."

"Certainly. A Jedi never does a job half-way."

"Well, that's a full list of all those I know of who've bought Tancho in the last six months." She sat back with a tired sigh, rubbing her temples. "This is why I'm a smuggler. It's more fun, less work, and more exciting." Jerika waved a hand limply at the screen, "This is about as interesting as cleaning my toenails."

"Even you must admit that this is perhaps _just_ a bit more important than getting to Kessel faster than anyone else in the galaxy." He smiled gently though and reached a hand up to massage the back of her neck.

"Agreed, but – oh, yes right there – it feels like a demotion. I've gone from successful business woman to Jedi research assistant."

He laughed and sat forward, examining the screen, "We've barely scratched the surface here right?"

"Yes and no." Her hands moved over the keyboard again, "There are undoubtedly hundreds of other buyers, but not many who have purchases large enough to be of any consequence or in conjunction with any of the other chemicals or items you listed." She shoved a hand through the thick curls falling over her forehead. "We'll have to keep checking them for other connections, matching them with people who have government or military connections."

He nodded, "It is going to be nearly impossible though. Anyone who'd send that many droids against a large smuggling operation, in daylight, in a highly populated area would have to be well-funded, and therefore able to cover his tracks easily."

"Or totally crazy." She leaned back again, closing her eyes, "This means a least six more months of research doesn't it?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "And we can't stay here for six months."

"No. " She opened her eyes and turned to face him. Reaching out with one hand she cupped his cheek. "We'll be lucky to get two more days."

"Well then, we should make the most of it." He pulled her chair close and leaned in to kiss her. She made it easier for him by getting up and sitting in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Obi-Wan felt a wave of tired sadness rise up in Jerika's mind. He rolled on his side and reached over to stroke her cheek. "Darling what's wrong?" He raised himself up on one elbow to look over her shoulder and was surprised to see her eyes swimming with unshed tears. Kissing her softly he pulled her close.

"Oh, it's – it's, n-nothing I…" She swallowed, "We, how will we – What will **I** do when you have to go back to Coruscant?" She bit her lip, fighting the tears.

This is why Qui-Gon said not to get into a relationship. He kept his gaze locked with hers and said, "You'll come with me."

She sat up straight, "I most certainly will not!"

He sat beside her, keeping his eyes glued to hers, not her breasts, which bounced fetchingly. And he had to concentrate on what she was saying so as not to be distracted by the way her mobile face went from sad confusion to angry annoyance in an instant. Oh Force, oh no. I can't be falling in love with her. "I need you. I cannot finish all this research by myself. And how will you be safe from whoever attacked us?"

Jerika shook her head and jumped out of bed. She opened her mouth to deny him, but shut it when she saw him trying valiantly to keep his eyes on her face. Grabbing the nearest article of clothing to hand she threw it over her head to spare his dignity. "My business is important! If I can gain a little more of the market share and get a couple of other, um, businessmen to form a consortium, we'll be able to force the senate into restructuring the tax laws. Don't you see? My dream is within reach. I won't have to **be** a smuggler anymore, and not because I made enough to retire either. This could mean –"

"That no other little girls have to scratch and claw to stay independent like you did." He had gotten out of bed while she dressed and now helped settle the garment she'd chosen – his tunic – into place.

"Exactly!"

"And if you joined the fair trade commission, you'd be doing the same thing legally."

"But they – "

"You would have the support of the Jedi. We'd make sure you were heard." He turned back to the bed, and unable to immediately locate his pants, jerked the sheet from the bed to modestly wrap it around his waist. "Once you got established everyone would listen to you and believe you. In only three days I've come to trust you."

Jerika smiled, with a hint of sadness, "And I trust you, no matter what, but you're not a double-talking bureaucrat. It won't be enough. I can do far more as a smuggler. I'll send you any information I find and when I can I'll come to Coruscant. And we can meet on other worlds when you have diplomatic missions."

"That's the best idea you can come up with?"

"We both have our duty, I can't give up my operations, and you can't give up being a Jedi."

"Now Jerika, listen – "

"No way! I can't live that way! You can't ask me to move to Coruscant and work for the fair trade commission, that's no life. I won't have a real job, I'll just be your mistress."

"Just a minute! It's not like that at all! You, you're a **_Smuggler_** for Forces' sake! No matter how you justify that for the sake of improving the lives of legitimate freighter captains, it's still illegal!"

"Oh! And so its better if I give it all up, fire all these people, let some totally dishonest crook take over my business and go with you so that once a week you can get laid!" By this time they were nose to nose, she wearing his tunic, and he wearing the bed sheet around his waist.

He let go of the sheet and grabbed her upper arms, "Of course not! You're not listening to me, you've made up your mind I'm wrong and you're putting words in my mouth. You'd be an important person, some one who's seen trade from the wrong side of the law and knows the problems the taxes create firsthand. You could make a real difference!"

"And coincidently, warm your bed whenever you were home to need it." She said calmly, crossing her arms over her breasts and raising an eyebrow.

He whirled away from her, growling in frustration and nearly tripping over the sheet. Squaring his shoulders, he calmly pulled his makeshift garment into place and faced her again. Closing the distance, her took her in his arms, her folded ones still between them. "That is all I am allowed then, a couple of nights with you and then six months or more alone? Jerika, how can **I** live that way?"

She thawed considerably, unfolding her arms and placing her palms against his chest, "What else can we do? I can't be anything but what I am, and you – You are a Jedi! You have to continue. Even if you could bring yourself to leave your profession, it won't leave you." A sad smile framed her face as she lifted one hand to his cheek, "You are so much a Jedi that I can feel you in contact with the Force when you walk across a room. We're not talkin' a career change here, we are talking fundamental change, on the order of a cellular restructuring. It would be like you getting up and deciding this whole human thing just didn't suit you, you were going to become a Wookiee!" She forced a silly grin on to her face.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi? No thank you, that's Obi-the-Hutt from now on!" He attempted to follow her lead in lightening the mood.

It seemed to work for she began to laugh, "Sorry old boy, I'm not a Jedi, I'm a Jawa, thank you very much!"

He laughed and picked up his discarded robe, threw it on and shuffled about the room, making Jawa-speak at her until she dissolved in a fit of laughter, lying back on the bed, kicking her legs weakly. Leaning over her, still squeaking in imitation, he began to tickle her unmercifully while muttering about wanting to sell her used speeder parts.


	6. How a Ship Got Its Name

Chapter 6   
How a Ship Got its Name   
In which our heroes can no longer avoid the truth 

Disclaimer – See Chapter 1

Obi-Wan sat up with a jerk, awakening Jerika at the same time.

"Wha-?" She blinked, trying push back the haze of sleep still clouding her mind.

"Ssssshhhh!" He hushed her and closed his eyes in concentration, "Someone's just come out of hyperspace on the edge of the system."

"Shit!"

"Yes, up to our necks." He leaped out of bed and threw on his clothes.

She mirrored his actions and ran after him. Together they dashed up the ramp. When Jerika headed for the cockpit Obi-Wan caught her arm, "No wait." His eyes lost focus and seemed to search the whole room. "Shut everything down. Leave on only the base's standby systems.

She nodded, ordering the computer to stop preflight. All the lights on the board went out with the exception of one or two status lights. She marveled at the level of trust she'd developed in him in just three days. Not since her father had she followed some one's orders without question. Deciding to examine the implications of that later she gave him a questioning look. "Alright, all that's up is life support, although what that's going to do- " Before she could ask him to explain he pulled her into his arms and put a finger to her lips.

Hush, it's the best way for me to hide us both from the sensors.

Jerika's eyes widened at the voice in her head, but she held still and said nothing.

With his eyes closed, Obi-Wan opened his mouth and spoke in a voice not his, but one she nevertheless recognized, giving her a chance to hear what he could.

"Nothing on the sensors, there's no one down there." The voice of Bim filled the dark room.

The next voice was that of Agis, a man who had worked for her since she was 19 years old, "Is there any way to check if she was there recently?"

"Certainly. Go in and check the computer logs, but we'll never get inside."

"Never?"

"Naw, Jerika always uses triple-layer security on her systems, retinal scan, DNA, **and** binary code. Even if we could break the code and fake the retinal, we can't fake the DNA."

"Do you know where the entrance is?"

"No, I can find it, but if we can't get in-"

"Find it, we can get in ways other than through the security system."

The Jedi surprised the smuggler yet again by swearing - suddenly back in his own voice. Obi-Wan went through a repertoire that used three-dozen languages and made the hardened smuggler's ears burn with shame. He leapt up, grabbed her hand and ran to the cockpit. "We have about two minutes before the ceiling comes down on us!"

"What?" Jerika followed him as he ran to the cockpit.

The door slid aside and Obi-Wan threw himself into the co-pilot seat. "They can't get past your security, so they've decided to simply blast their way in!"

"Oh beautiful!" Jerika skipped her regular system check and just began flipping switches and calling directions to the computer.

Obi-Wan examined the readout over her shoulder, "How much power can we divert to the shields?"

"They're at 100 right now."

"In a few minutes we are going to be hit by blaster fire, sections of the ceiling are going to crush us and the room is going to depressurize."

"O.k. then, just wanted a better reason than 'I said so.' There – power diverted, shields at 150. Will that be enough?"

"Should be…"

"Well then let's get the hell out of here." Before they could make another move, blaster fire sounded against the surface doors.

"How high is the shield rating on that surface aperture?"

Jerika actually looked embarassed, "Uh – what shield?"

"You have **GOT** to be joking."

"No, that is, well, you see… This is a **secret** **fking** **hideout**! If no one knows it's here, why should I waste money on shields?"

Obi-Wan put his face in his hands, shaking his head back and forth.

"It's not my fault! She whirled back to shielding controls, trying to figure out how to throw some together in ten seconds. "It's not my fault!" Then another blast of laser fire shook the ship. Jerika bit her lip, forced herself not to panic, and dropped into the pilot's seat. "Forget shields, we're getting the hell out of here!" She guided the ship to hover just above the floor, then aligned the topside blast-cannon and used it to blast away the remains of the roof.

With all the fury of a natural disaster 30 tons of rock, the remains of the upper hatch, and the hanger's atmosphere exploded out of the hanger. The resulting maelstrom shoved the ship into one wall and then the other. The force of it was too strong for Jerika to handle it with the controls. But Obi-Wan could. Concentrating, focusing his will on the ship, he guided it away from the wall and out the opening. Rocks and other debris slammed into the other ship, providing cover for the escaping freighter.

"We didn't get away clean. I've got shields down to 59 and a near hull-breach on the port side." Jerika shouted as they rocketed away from the moon.

Eyes still closed, face a mask of calm; the Jedi swiveled in his seat to face the port side. "I'll deal with that. Divert everything you can to the thrusters and the aft shields. Our best chance is to go to light speed as soon as possible."

"And then? Are you going to hold the ship together with the Force while we're in hyperspace?" She asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I can't do it during a dogfight. Just plot the shortest safe course you can, under fifteen minutes, and strengthen the port shields with every bit of power available."

"F-kin Jedi hero." She grumbled. Firing lasers with one hand she set the navi-computer to plot a hyperspace trajectory with the other, and then scrounged through every available system for power to divert. The Force was apparently with them. Just when the computer pinged its readiness to jump, the main terminal scrolled out a list of power sources. Jerika pushed buttons and flipped switches and saw some of the tension leave Obi-Wan's face.

And then the communication terminal beeped. "Falcon, this is the Nostromo – talk to us Delorolo, we don't want to kill you if we don't have to. Give us the Jedi and we'll let you go."

"What would you idiots want with a Jedi? You **will** want to take over my operation I suppose?"

"You'll be alive, that's something."

"No thanks boys, I'll take my chances with the stars. If I were you Bim, I'd watch my back from now on, that's my ship you're flyin', and that was my base you just destroyed. You do remember what happened to the last person interfered with my business?"

Obi-Wan calmly reached across the board and switched off the microphone, "Give me to them."

"What?" She stared at him, mouth open, looking horrified.

"I'll be able to get away and I might find out who they are working for."

"They won't keep you alive, they'll kill you. No way they could keep you captive."

"You know that and I know that, but do they?"

"Damn you Kenobi! I have to give you up and let you go back to your wretched temple. I can barely stomach that. Do you think for an instant that I can give you to cold-blooded killers?"

"Ah, in love with me are you?"

A galaxy of emotions flashed across her face and then she stated calmly, "Yes, of course."

His wicked smile threatened to destroy his Jedi persona. Leaning close, he captured her lips with his and gave her a fast, searing kiss that made her toes curl. "Then punch the hyper drive and get us the hell out of here." Obi-Wan ordered her softly as he pulled away and resumed his seat.

"Smug bastard," She pulled down on the light-drive levers, "Should have handed you over and gotten rid of you when I had the chance." The freighter vanished in a blur of speed.

The crew on the Nostromo watched as the hologram of the hooded man faded, the two men collapsed onto the deck simultaneously. It took awhile for one of the others to work up the courage to check the prone men's pulses. After feeling each throat he turned to his closest comrade, "They're dead, Tim."

The stars shifted back to pinpoints from streaks in just under ten minutes and Obi-Wan slumped forward against the controls. He sat up, sweat running freely down his face, "You never know what – _pant_ – you can – _uff_ – do – _huh_ – 'til you have to." He leaned back, closing his eyes.

Jerika grunted in annoyance and worked furiously at the controls. "Shut up." She growled. He opened one eye to watch her work, listening to her bitch softly about goddess-forsaken Jedi heroes running around holding ships together with their minds, frightening honest smugglers half out of their wits and so on and so forth. She interrupted her tirade long enough to turn and glare at him, "It's sealed off now, you can release it."

He did so, gratefully. "Thank you." She watched him close his eyes again. Nodding to herself she started out of the cabin, but a hand shot out to catch her wrist. "Just where do you think you are going?"

"Back to locate the breach and set my repair droids to work on it. Hopefully it's small and we'll be under way in a couple of hours."

"I know where the breach is, how big it is, and exactly what to do to repair it, I'll help." He started to lever himself out of the chair.

She pushed him back down, "Not this time. Rest; get some sleep if you can. The droids and the 'puter can make a patch that will stand up in hyperspace. We'll go to a core world; no one would suspect that. There I can get the breach completely repaired, but I might need you to negotiate us a safe port. My nifty forged documents that no rim world official would look twice at will come under heavy scrutiny in the core."

"You want me well rested so I can assist you in illegal activity?"

"Yeah."

"Alright." He settled more comfortably in his chair, "Wake me when we get there."

"Smug bastard."

"Difficult not to be when the most beautiful smuggler in the galaxy says she loves you."

"Oh well, that was under duress."

He opened his eyes and smiled at her, tapping his temple with one finger. "True nonetheless, I can tell."

She grabbed the finger and bent it painfully, until he twisted his hand, caught her waist, and pulled her into his lap. "Oh yeah? So is the feeling reciprocated?"

Obi-Wan held her close, marveling at the way that, even in the dim cabin lights, her eyes sparkled like green gems. "Meaning, do I love you too?"

She nodded, with that tiny flash of vulnerability that made him feel lighter than air.

"Yes my lovely captain, if I live a thousand years."

"You don't need to see further documentation."

"We don't need to see further documentation."

"We need clearance for three days."

"I'm giving you clearance for three days."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure sir." The port official turned away from the counter without a backward glance.

Jerika folded her arms. "Level with me, that's the best part about being a Jedi isn't it?"

Obi-Wan stroked his beard thoughtfully, and then patted his light saber. "It's a close call." He grinned a silly grin, "This is much more fun to use than a blaster."

On the third night in the rooms they rented, Obi-Wan gathered her close as she drifted off to sleep, whispering into her hair, "Mmmm – do you trust me?"

"With my life." She yawned and snuggled closer.

He lay quietly until her breathing indicated she had gone to sleep. "What about your heart? You already have mine. How will we live apart? How can I live without my heart?" For the first time in his life, the young man regretted being a Jedi. Months, maybe even years it would be now before he would hold her like this. Long after Jerika fell asleep he lay awake holding her.

When she woke the next morning he was sitting on the edge of the bed, fastening his boots. She sat up smiling, "Somewhere you have to be right away?"

He didn't look at her, "I have to get back, I've been away too long as it is." He stood and picked up his sash, wrapping it around his waist and tucking in the ends.

She pulled the sheet up around her neck, "You're leaving alone, not waiting for me to take you?"

"It would be too dangerous for you, some one might recognize your ship and – "

"Try to arrest me."

"Or kill you."

"That was happening long before I met you." She folded her arms over her knees and rested her chin on her hands.

For an instant he froze and a look of agonized worry flashed across his face. Then that completely infuriating mask of Jedi calm replaced it. "Undoubtedly, but not because of me and not where I could prevent it." He fastened his belt and settled it in place with a lot more force than normal. Turning, he picked up his cloak and settled it around his shoulders, his hands disappearing inside the sleeves. Jedi armor in place, he slung his cari-sac from the table onto his shoulder.

"No, wait!" She shoved the covers aside and hastily grabbed the long caftan dress lying on the nearby chair. Diving into the dress, she slipped her long embroidered vest on over it and belted that into place. Pulling on her boots, she dashed for the bathing room. Seconds later she emerged, clean, make-up in place, hair covered by a scarf.

Obi-Wan was suitably impressed. "I believe you did that quick change in under five minutes."

"Yes, well there's a reason I'm still alive. Shall we go?" He regarded her silently for a few moments, and then turned for the door.

The public transport facility was a short distance away so they walked. About halfway there he reached over and took her hand. She gave him a hard stare and then let him pull her close. The transport was nearly ready to leave and the clerk at the desk immediately tried to hustle Obi-Wan aboard.

"Give me a moment." He waved a hand at the young man.

"Take a moment sir, there is no hurry."

"You use that trick a little too often."

"So I've been told. Does it really bother you?"

"Not in the slightest. Tell them to go without you."

He smiled and pulled her close, kissing her gently, "You have my secure holonet address and I have yours. I'll let you know where I have been assigned as often as I can." Lifting one hand he pulled the scarf from her messy curls and stuffed it inside his tunic. "Never cover these again." He whispered.

She eyed the wisp of green silk peeking out of his tunic for a moment, chewing her lower lip. Their eyes met for an instant, and then she nodded decisively, and yanked the cari-sac off his shoulder and dropped it on the ground. Then she pulled his robe down over one shoulder and started to drag his arm out of the sleeve.

"Stop, love." He whispered, cupping her cheek, he looked into her eyes, smiling gently. Without another word, he released her, stepped back and removed his robe. Swirling it out behind her, he settled it around her shoulders, and fastened the clasp under her chin.

For one instant, he thought she might break down. Instead, she dragged her eyes away from his to stare at the ceiling. After a couple of hard blinks she managed something close to her casual smile, but her voice betrayed her dismay. "W-we'll see each other soon enough Kenobi. Get going, you c-can't m-make everyone wait." He nodded and turned for the hatch.

Without looking back he sighed softly, whispering to himself. "It can never be soon enough." The hatch closed with a hiss, and the transport lifted from the planet.


	7. The Last Piece of Lasagna

Summary: A continuation of 'For a Thousand Years', but also a stand-alone piece.  This is a light-hearted chapter of reestablishing bonds and food-fighting.

Disclaimer: It's George's, not mine.  

The Last Piece of Lasagna 

I rather liked the public transport, all things considered.  It was a nice change from worrying about how my pilot was doing, or who was following me.  Now I could simply sit back and relax; my mind free to worry about other concerns, like what I was going to say to him when I saw him again.

Not like I hadn't kept in touch or sent new information when I found it.  Twice I'd even sent my own people with information that I felt too important to trust to the communication net.  Both my messengers had been successful, but had the same reply when I asked for a return message – 'Why didn't she bring this herself?'

A very good question and the answer was both simple and complex.  On the surface it was a matter of personal safety.  Some official might recognize me, and that just wouldn't do.  Whether or not my heart could take it was the real reason.  I had lived with this empty hole inside me for eight months.  Would he forgive my absence and fill it up again?  If he did, how would I ever be able to leave him again?  If he didn't it would kill me.

The time I had to spend on worry was rapidly diminishing.  I stood with most of the other passengers as the speederbus pulled up to the central pad and I joined the queue for the door.  Multiple elevators stood on this platform and buses and shuttles landed and took off only minutes apart.  In this section of the city office workers dominated the population, but there were always exceptions.  A purple-skinned twilek male in gray and yellow robes nearly knocked me down in his haste to catch one of the other speeders.  I ducked out of the way, but he only took the opportunity to walk right into the back of an enormous Bilodian.  Known throughout the galaxy for their complete lack of aggression, in spite of their size, I didn't think anything would come of it.  I was right, in a way.  

The Bilodian simply turned to the Twilek and smiled gently, "Sir, what is your destination?"

"Why that's none of your, uh, the embassy, but I – "

"Ah, no problem at all sir." And he simply picked the beaurocrat up around the waist and carried him to the appropriate speeder stand, his head tentacles dragging on the ground, nearly tripping another traveler.

I hoisted my carisac to a better position and headed for an elevator, being careful so as not to earn my own ride.

+++++

Aside from the worries about my love life, there was the very real concern of getting into the temple without sending up a banner announcing: **Smuggler Here!**  I wanted no information anywhere saying that I was here.  So I'd told my people I was going to Ord Mantel to develop a new business interest.

The pyramid of the Jedi temple loomed before me and I wondered briefly where I'd gotten the guts to pull off this bit of craziness. ~Oh well, it would be a shame to waste the trip. ~  I clenched one side of my face up to almost close one eye and made sure that the hood of my cloak covered my hair.  The simplest disguises were always the best.  I let one shoulder droop and began shuffling my way to the entrance.

~ Hmmm, temple's down on its luck I see, can't afford to hire an actual receptionist. ~  The blue-skinned, white-haired girl at the counter sported the same awful haircut I'd seen on Obi-wan's apprentice.  As I waited for her to acknowledge my presence my over active imagination flooded my mind with the image of Obi-wan with this same haircut.  When the girl looked up I wasn't laughing, but grinning broadly.

"How may I help you Mistress?"

"Uh, yeah dese here part tings be fer da Sky-boy."

"Pardon me Mistress, I'm not sure who you are referring to."

"Sky-boy, de tall young one dat build all da ting?  Got de hair like you?"

"Hair like…?  You mean Anakin Skywalker?"

"Yah! Dat boy want dees tings."  I lifted my bag, which appeared to be full of used droid parts.

Now she was the one ginning, "Shall I see if he is available Mistress?"

"You tell him I de one got his mahstah's robe."

She nodded absently and turned to the communication board set in the desk.  "Hello, oh, Master Kenobi, is Anakin there?  There's a junk – er – business woman here to see him.  She said to tell Anakin she has his master's cloak."  The girl went silent, obviously listening to the earpiece she wore.  "Yes Master, I will tell her."  She shifted back to face me; "Anakin's master will make the deal for him if you will just wait through there."  Standing, she pointed to a door at the end of the left hallway.

~ Oops, got more than I bargained for. ~  I thought miserably.  "Ah, yah, dat be fine."  Hoisting the bag again I shuffled down the hallway to the large door.  It slid open on silent tracks and inside I found a small conference room equipped with holoscreens, a large conference table and several chairs.  Through windows on the back wall I could see a garden filled with thousands of plants. Setting down my bag I went to the press my nose to the glass, wondering how you got out there.  I found a closure rod and was working to unfasten it when the door opened.

He'd gotten a new cloak I saw, his face hidden in the deep hood.  The garment was fastened at the throat and with his arms folded; his hands were hidden deep within the sleeves.  Still, I knew it was he.  I could still feel the shape of him when I closed my eyes at night and he'd have to be wearing a lot more layers than that to disguise him from me.  

"If that posture is supposed to intimidate me the effort's wasted.  I've negotiated with Jabba the Hutt, nothing frightens me."

He'd closed the distance to within a meter, now he pulled back his hood, unclipping the robe at his neck and letting the material hang loosely.  His face was a mask of indifference, and I realized I could be scared after all.  Scared that our separation (and my lack of communication) might have killed off his feelings, which it apparently had.  I turned to my bag, digging through the parts and changes of clothes to find the data card I'd brought.

"I found this during the clean-up at my hanger.  The information should be helpful to your investigation."  Pulling it out I turned, meaning to set the little square on the table, but he held out his hand for it. Unable to simply set it on the table, I placed it in his hand, trying not to touch him at the same time and noting with anger that my fingers were trembling.

His hand closed around mine and held me firmly trapped.  I raised my eyes to meet his.  The mask he set in place before coming in was slipping. Using his free arm he pulled me close, crushing me against him.  Then he released my other hand long enough to toss the card on the table.  "I couldn't give a damn about the data except that it brought you here."  He grasped the back of my neck and bent to kiss me, trying to put eight months of loneliness and worry into the embrace.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to do the same.

When his hand began to worm its way inside my tunic I pushed him back, "Oh! Wait! Not here." He grinned and pulled his hand back, but didn't let me go.  I felt stupidly foolish, "I can't stop looking at you and I want to be kissing you at the same time."

He nodded, "Me too, and I've got a class to teach in five minutes."  Reluctantly he released me and picked up both my bag and the data card.  "I'll take you to my apartment and go teach my class, you will wait there for me?"

"For a thousand years.  Or I could sit in the back and watch your class."

"It is a history class, you would be bored to death."

"And you'd be nervous?"

"More like aroused." He dead - panned.

I laughed out loud, "Ah, no one will know."  I reached down with one hand and flipped the dangling sections of his tunic, "Isn't that what this part of the outfit is for?  Camophlage?"

Rolling his eyes he took my arm and towed me away.  "You lack proper respect for the Jedi, woman."

"Would be lots easier if you updated your wardrobe once every millennium or so."  I quipped as we left the room and turned down another hallway.

"Fashion the concern of the Jedi it is not." Said a voice both gravely and high – pitched behind me, at about the level of my knees.  I jumped and clutched Obi-wan's arm in surprise.

Unperturbed as always, he turned and bowed to the little green creature that had spoken.  "Good morning Master Yoda."

"Good morning Obi-wan, introduce us you should."  He gestured to me with one tiny-clawed hand.  I wondered how a being less than half a meter tall managed to be intimidating.

"Jerika this is Master Yoda, a senior member of the Jedi council.  Master this is Captain Jerika Delorolo, she is the contact I made last year during that Tancho incident."

"Aw yes, girlfriend she is.  Pleased to meet you Captain."  He bowed to me.  I felt Obi-wan stiffen at the word _girlfriend_ but managed to maintain my poise. 

Bowing smoothly I replied, "The pleasure is all mine Master Yoda, but I think girlfriend is a misnomer.  Lover is more appropriate, we haven't been on any dates."

Yoda shook his head in disgust and pinned Obi-wan with a withering stare, "Did Qui-gon teach you no manners Obi-wan?  Take a woman to dinner you should before sleeping with her."

Without missing a beat Obi-wan answered, "Does saving her life count Master?"  Somehow I was going to have to learn his trick of keeping his face blank.

"No.  Your duty as a Jedi it was to protect her.  Sleep with every woman whose life you save?"

Now he did blush, but smiled at me, "Ah, no Master, only the beautiful ones."

Yoda laughed, "Go Obi-wan, teach your class.  Escort your… _guest_ I will."

"Yes Master."  He inclined his head and handed back my bag and the data card.  Glancing at Yoda he kissed me quickly and hurried away at something just shy of a run.

"We shouldn't tease him like that."

"True, but such good reaction one gets, it is worth his embarrassment."  I followed the little master down the hall and into a lift.  We were both silent on the ride up and walking down the corridors that eventually led to the apartment.  The door opened at Yoda's command and I started inside.  He stopped me by extending the walking stick he carried,  "Needs this visit he does.  His task is difficult and far from over."

I was surprised by this and knelt to use the opening to ask him a question, "Why is such a young inexperienced Jedi training such a powerful apprentice?"

"Dying wish of Obi-wan's master it was.  Knew his apprentice well he did.  Talented and powerful is Obi-wan, no one else would do half as well, come to see this I have.  Young enough to remember how difficult training can be he is.  An older master would not."

"But you had reservations at first?"  I insisted.

"Yes, but meant to be together they are.  Only Obi-wan has not the experience to fall back on, need he has for a companion to support him.  To you the Force has led him."

I stood quickly, shaking my head, "It was luck.  There's no all – powerful force that controls my destiny."

He chuckled again, a sound at once eerie and sweet, "Time will tell, Captain, time will tell.  Speak again we will before you leave."  Turning away he shuffled off down the corridor, still snorting laughter and mumbling about luck.

I sighed a little uneasily but went inside the apartment.  Having nothing better to do I slung my bag onto the couch inside the door and went to the computer terminal on the other side of the room, inserted the card, and went to work on the voice code again.

++++++

An hour's work produced zilch.  If there were better programs for decoding in the Jedi's system, I hadn't found them.  As I threw my hands up in frustration the door opened.  I looked up, expecting to berate Obi-wan for my difficulties, only to find the eyes looking back at me were blue rather than blue-green.  They were set in a face significantly younger than Obi-wan's and far more awkward.  I had the impression of a half – grown puppy, one whose paws and ears promised a **very** big dog was in the works.  He was nearly Obi-wan's height and I knew him to be just 14.  He was cursed with that spectacularly awful apprentice haircut, but it looked better on him than it had on the receptionist.

He smiled brightly and crossed to me, his large hands enveloping mine.  "Lady Jerika, I'm so glad you're here!  How did you get in?  How are you?"  He dropped my hand, "Y-you're even prettier in person."

I stood my ground under the barrage of questions, happy that some things about him hadn't changed and wondering faintly how Obi-wan had any energy left for anything else.  "It's good to see you too Jedi Skywalker, you're getting so tall."

He blushed, "I'm as tall as Obi-wan now.  Have you seen him?  He'll be so happy to see – oh you've seen him how else did you get in here?"

Grinning I told him the whole story, then gifted him with the droid parts.

He crowed with delight and pounced on them like a ravenous mynock. "Oh wizard!  A phase-inversion power conductor!  A – "

"I take it you can use them then?"

"Yeah, oh they're awesome!"  He enthused.  His gaze was suddenly captured by the computer screen,  "That's one impressive security code!  Are you trying to get through it or setting it up?  What is it protecting?"  He slipped past me and took the chair, working the keyboard, moving blocking code sections away like he was typing a letter to his girlfriend.

"It's a transmission record.  I'm trying to get a lock on the incoming voiceprint, but so far nothing."

"Yeah, like you can hear the voice, but when you try to print it, it's like it's not there."

The boy was completely caught up in the puzzle, and rather than stop him from doing my job for me, I just took a seat on the couch, then laid back to watch him.  I didn't realize how tired I was until I started dreaming.

++++++

I awakened to a hand gently stoking my cheek.  Opening my eyes I found Obi-wan kneeling beside me examining me closely.

"Tired were you?"

"Mmmm… I stretched, "Yeah, I worked on the computer for an hour, then Anakin came in, we talked for a bit, then he took over the computer, so I laid down.  The next thing I knew, I was asleep."

"Are you sure it was the trip and not the boy?"

"Ha!  Takes more than an over-active teenager to tire me out.  Where is he?"

"He has an afternoon class with one of the masters, he'll be home in an hour."

"Good, just enough time to make dinner then." I sat up and he pulled me to my feet and into his arms.

"Or something else perhaps."

"Now, now, I thought Jedi were supposed to be patient."

"I'd call eight months patient enough.  What a dilemma, one of your excellent meals, or an hour in bed…"

I shook my head,  "We have all week, no need to rush."

He leaned close, rubbing his nose against mine; "I shall simply have to bask in your presence for the time being eh?"

I grinned, and then tilted my head for his kiss.  Dinner could wait a little while.

+++++

"I got the recipe from a friend, he's a chef that specializes in recipes from worlds that haven't had contact with the rest of the galaxy."

Obi-wan was eyeing the casserole dubiously, but prudently keeping his mouth shut.  Anakin felt himself bound by no such restrictions.  "Well, it looks weird, but it sure smells good."  He turned his head to one side, looking through the clear baking dish,  "What's this wavy yellowish white stuff?  And is that green?  Is something bad growing inside it by accident?  What is -?"

"Anakin – " Obi-wan said in a soft, dangerous tone, though he obviously shared the boy's wariness.

"Sorry Master."

I grinned at their nervousness and cut out a slice of the dish, setting it before Obi-wan with a piece of bread. Repeating it for Anakin and myself, I poured wine for each of us, filling the boy's glass only halfway.  Then I sat back, waiting.

Deciding to set a good example, Obi-wan bravely forked up a bite and lifted it to his mouth.  Just as he opened his mouth I shouted, "Careful, it's hot!"  The food fell from his fork and he nearly dropped the utensil.  

"Sorry Master."  I lowered my voice and copied Anakin's posture.

He gave me a nasty glare and reacquired the bite, shoving it in his mouth.  Obi-wan made a spectacularly sick face and swallowed with difficulty, "I am sorry Padawan, it's horrible.  I shall have to do my duty and protect you by eating it all."

Anakin's eyes widened and he quickly shoved a piece into his own mouth.  After that it became a contest to see who could finish a serving fast enough to get the next one.  I was glad I had served myself a large piece, because I was afraid to get in the way.  However, when it came down to the last piece, both of them were sitting back patting bulging stomachs.

"Del, you should, urp – " Obi-wan was forced to stifle a large burp, "Take the last piece.  Ani and I ate all the, urg, rest."

"Yeah Lady J, you take it.  I've had – BURP –"

"Quite enough apparently."  I divided an amused glance between them, "But you'll have to fight it out between the two of you.  I'm saving room for dessert."  Retreating through the half-door into the kitchen I ignored the groans of protest behind me in favor of getting plates and the dessert.

Turning with these in my hands I heard a utensil clink against glass in the other room, then a grunt of protest.  Then open warfare broke out.  Shouts and imprecations of doom combined with the crash of dishes hitting the floor and colliding with each other.  I looked down as a serving spoon came sliding under the door and hit my foot, causing bits of cheese to decorate my boot.  Since I didn't want them to kill each other I set down my burden and went back out to survey the destruction.

And destruction it was.  The scene that met my eyes resembled a battlefield rather than the end of a meal.  Both of them were sprawled across the table.  Obi-wan's face and beard were a mask of gook.  Anakin had only a few smears on his face, but as I watched, a big piece came rolling out of his collar and landed on the table.  At my appearance they had frozen, now they sprang apart, jerking to their feet, a shower of dishes and utensils following in their wake.  Obi-wan opened his mouth, but nothing came out, and the movement made a noodle fall from its perch on his eyebrow and land with a plop on the floor.

That was it for me.  I sank to the floor and laughed until my sides hurt.  A heartbeat later they joined me, sinking into chairs on opposites sides of the table.  The boy howled with mirth, the master shook silently. When I was coherent again I climbed to my feet and began cleaning the table, not looking at either of them for fear of loosing it all over again.  They stood and wordlessly pushed me away to clean up their mess themselves.  As I backed away I discovered that bits and pieces of food kept falling to the floor as Anakin moved.  I wondered how he'd managed to get so much of it on his master and yet the master had managed to shove most of it down his tunic.  I resigned myself to never fully understanding the mysteries of the Jedi. 


	8. Birthday Fire

Summary – This is a short bit two years after The Last Piece of Lasagna.  It's just for fun.  

Disclaimer – Its George's, not mine, as usual.

A red bolt of blaster fire seared a hole in the wall 10 centimeters from my cheek.  Insulation and wiring smoldered and sparks and smoke flew into my face.  I cried out, waving one hand before my face to clear the smoke and then dropped into a crouch, bracing my elbow against my knee I used my blaster to lay down a calculated wave of suppressing fire.

Above me, off to my right, Obi-wan and Anakin were a blur of action; sending back nearly every bolt that came at us.  Our coordinated defense took out a couple of the attackers and the hail of fire eased off considerably.  I regained my feet and leaned my back against the wall holding my blaster with both hands near my face.  Both Jedi kept their places in the middle of the hall, smugly (at least from my point of view) unconcerned about the few blaster bolts that continued to rain around them, and looking none the worse for wear because of it.

The same could not be said for the corridor.  This was the governor's palace in the capitol city.  Beautifully inlaid ceilings stretched three meters above our heads, perfectly polished- tile-inlaid floors lay at our feet, and the walls were a delicate artwork of marble and wood.  Now however, holes and streaks of soot marred the stone and woodwork, smoked filled the area around us, reducing visibility to only a few meters and the statuary and potted plants that filled the alcoves along the walls were overturned or had been blasted to bits.  The temple accountants were used to the bills generated by Kenobi/Skywalker Inc., but I was betting that more than harsh words would be spoken over this catastrophe.

"This is wonderful, a running fire-fight!  And on my birthday too!  Don't let anybody tell you your master doesn't know how to show a lady a good time Anakin."  Unlike my Jedi companions, I was bound by no rules against anger, either the feeling of it or expressing of it, and I had never believed in holding back.

Obi-wan gave me a humorless smile, "He's the brains this time sweetheart."

Anakin looked embarrassed and swallowed nervously, "But I didn't-"

"Think?"  I said sarcastically.  "Really?  What a surprise.  Did you plan to come up here to this dead end?"

"I-I didn't think there were so many rebels Lady J, honest!"

I sent Obi-wan a look of pure malice, "This is your training?  'Today my young apprentice, I'm going to show you a way to end a relationship that guarantees no emotional baggage.'  What's next week's lesson?  How to do away with the council and forever get out of end of mission reports?"

He had been on the other side of Anakin, but with a signal I could not detect they traded places smoothly, neither of them getting so much as singed. Still deflecting bolts with the saber in his right hand, he grasped my arm with his left hand, and pulled me to his side.  "You are quite talented Jerika.  You have actually raised sarcasm to an art form."  His face was a hard mask of Jedi calm, and then he suddenly grinned at me and leaned close enough to rub his nose against mine.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the glow of his blade as he teased me while continuing to fight.  I glared up at him in utter fury, wondering what I had done to deserve falling in love with such an irritating man.

Without taking his eyes from mine he called out, "Think Ani, what must we do in this situation?"

"Get Lady J out of danger."

"Good.  What is the simplest way of doing that?"  He kissed the end of my nose and then thrust me behind him as the hail of blaster fire became heavy once again.

"Kill all the rebels."

"True, but since that is not an option?"  

"Escape."  

"How do we accomplish that Padawan?  We are cut off from all the lifts."  Obi-wan grimaced and took a few steps forward, destroying a statue far down the hall and burying several of our antagonists under the resulting rubble.

"We need to get to them without killing the rebels," Anakin thought out loud, "We need to create some sort of barricade…"

I was impressed that the boy (well he was sixteen, not really a boy anymore), could continue his part of the defense while strategizing, but my wrist was getting tired and the power cell on my blaster was starting to redline.  And I was so angry I thought my head was going to explode.  I rolled my eyes at Obi-wan and slipped around the corner behind us.  The one door I found led to an empty office with no other door out.

"Oh Sith suck me!"

"Nice move Jerika, we knew this was a dead end."  Obi-wan observed dryly as he and Anakin dashed in behind me, the apprentice turning and sealing the lock on the door.

"That won't hold them for long." He said.

"Great," I folded my arms and gave the boy a hard stare, "So, have you come up with a bright idea to get us to those lifts yet?"

Anakin crossed the room and looked out the window,  "We don't need the lift." And the boy lit his blade again.

"Right." Obi-wan nodded and left my side to join his apprentice.  The two of them began cutting away the floor to ceiling glass.

Immediately I saw what they were planning, "Oh no, no way!  This isn't direction from the Force, its suicide!"  But as usual, they blithely ignored me.  Big sections of the transparasteel fell away from the walls and they pulled out and hooked cables from their belts to the large conference table in the middle of the room.

Obi-wan motioned to me, "Come on Jeri, we don't have much time."  He held out one arm, and reluctantly, I went to him.  At that moment the door began to open with snaps of machinery and bursts of sparks.  "Wait a minute.  Ani, you take the captain, I'll hold off the rebels until you two are safely down."  Anakin opened his mouth to protest, then nodded and held out his arm to me.

I looked at Obi-wan in consternation, "And who is going to cover you?"

He smiled that infuriating grin of his, adding a wiggle of his eyebrows just to really piss me off, "The two of you from below, of course."

"You mean you're going to repel down the side of a building while dodging blaster bolts from both directions?"  I said this even as I allowed them to transfer me between them.

"Well, I assume I won't have to dodge the ones coming from below."  He actually looked ready to laugh the bastard.

I bit my lip, unable to decide between terrified concern and towering anger.  Needing both to protect him and blast him out of existence myself I settled for a viscous glare, "You assume too much."

Anakin stifled a life-threatening chuckle and tightened his grip on me.  I felt his muscles bunch and that odd tingling sensation of the surrounding Force increased.  "Hold tight Lady J."  He warned me and leapt out into space.  We dropped several meters into space, accompanied by the howl that fear ripped from my lungs without my consent and then the side of the building was rushing towards us.  His boots hit the wall and the impact reverberated up my spine.  He played out more line, repelling us down two floors to another (thankfully) empty room.  I blew out the window with three short bursts and we tumbled inside.  Anakin ripped out his comlink and called out to Obi-wan frantically.  Igniting his saber again, he leaned out the window and looked up.  I joined him and while he deflected bolts away from me, I shot at the rebels who were raining fire on the rapidly descending Obi-wan.  We both rolled out of the way as the young master dived through the opening, rolling gracefully to his feet and shaking his head to get the bits of broken glass out of his hair.

There was a moment of profound silence without the overwhelming noise of light sabers and blaster fire, and then Anakin could stand it no longer.

"Wizard!  That was intense!

I couldn't help grinning, "And fun?"

"Yeah!"  He said with out thinking, and then gulped and glanced at Obi-wan chagrined, who stood apart from us, arms folded, looking stern and disapproving.

"A Jedi does not seek excitement, Anakin." The silence had become icy with his reprove.  Suddenly he dropped his arms, grinned, and came over to slip an arm around both of us.  "But that doesn't mean we don't enjoy it when it finds us."  He winked at Anakin and then turned his gaze on me, "Happy Birthday Jeri."


	9. Never Apart Again

**Summary: This is the second-to-last piece in the series starting with For a Thousand Years.  I'm trying very hard not to deal with anything that will be in the movies.  Consider this an AU story that occurs outside the action of the movies. J**

**Disclaimer: As always, it all belongs to Lucas.  I'm making no money off this I'm just feeding my obsession. I would like to thank George for casting Ewan McGregor as Obi-wan. Life is good.**

Never Apart Again 

"Are you comfortable?"

I snorted in derision, "Do I look like I'm comfortable?"

"No, actually, you look like you're trying to smuggle a bantha."

"You're not as popular as you think around here.  No one would really miss you, I think it's more likely it would be called justifiable homicide."

"Nonsense.  You need me to change diapers."

"You'll change diapers?"

"Yes, I promise.  I'll stand across the room and use the Force to do it, but I'll do it."

"Be tough to make faces at the baby if you do it that way."

"Damn, it will, won't it?  Then I'll do it the normal way most of the time, unless she smells really awful."  He moved the table back, sat on it, then picked up my feet to rub them gently.

"Oooooooooohhh.  That's marvelous, you're forgiven."

"Even if I have to leave for Naboo tomorrow?" Obi-wan looked down at my feet, holding them gently, letting the news sink in.  I felt as if I'd just been slapped.

"B-but the baby's due in three weeks."  Sensing my distress, the occupant rolled and kicked out, making the side of my gown bulge slightly.  He reached up and laid a hand on the spot and immediately the child calmed.

"I'll be back before then, it won't be more than five days. Anakin's been missing for more than a month now and that other project Bail and I have been working on needs some attention."  He raised his face and met my eyes.  I saw the awful pain he managed to keep hidden from everyone else, the sadness and worry over what had become of his beloved apprentice.  And the other weights that had settled on his shoulders showed there too.  The disappearances of other Jedi, the increasing hostility of the emperor, and whatever secret plans he and Bail were developing were making the faint lines around his mouth and eyes heavier every day.  It made me sad to see the little streaks of white that were steadily growing at his temples; he was only 38 years old!  And of course there was me.  

It still made Master Yoda angry when he saw me.  How does one explain an accidental pregnancy to a Jedi?  The shock of it had nearly overwhelmed me as well.  With the limited number of times Obi-wan and I actually saw each other in a year, no one was more surprised than I when the med-droid said my morning queasiness and periods of tiredness were due to the fact that in eight months I was going to be a mother.  Me?  A mother?  The thought was almost unimaginable.  To my astonishment, the only one not upset or even nervous about the situation was Obi-wan.

"Did you want wine with dinner tonight sweetheart?"

"No, um, nothing alcoholic for me thanks." I made a quick exit from the kitchen where we were enjoying our first dinner together in just about exactly six weeks.  He followed me out though.  The one real drawback of dating a Jedi is that you can't hide anything from them.

"What?  Del, are you feeling alright?"  He captured my hand and pulled me close.

Looking up into his eyes I had no idea how to tell him, so I took one of his hands and placed it on my tummy. "I'm not sure it would be a good idea to drink for a while."  I had no idea what to expect; he often surprised me with his reactions.  

And he did it again.  His eyes closed and I could feel him examining me.  We felt it at the same time as he mentally he took me with him.  There it was, the beating of a tiny heart, no bigger than the tip of my finger.  A surge of emotion blasted through his entire system.  His temperature went up, his heart rate skyrocketed and the urge to move in every direction at once effectively froze him in place.  Then he was kissing me.  Holding me so tightly against him it hurt, his lips bruised mine with the furor of his sudden passion.  And I tasted salt in the kiss too, as the tears leaked down his cheeks to run into our joined mouths.  He broke off suddenly and lifted me in his arms, spinning me in a circle, laughing and crying at the same time.

"Oh Del!  I love you so!"

I was happy about the baby too, never in my life had I expected to have a child, not even after I'd met him.  When I found out mostly what I felt was nervousness and not a little fear.  But now I felt his joy wash over me and felt it myself.  How could I not be happy in the face of his reaction?  As he set me on my feet again I felt my own surge of quiet happiness.  Obi-wan's baby, I was going to have his child.  A warm glow spread through me, a feeling of contentment like I'd never known.

He placed his hand over my abdomen again and smiled, "A girl, a beautiful, perfect little daughter.  She'll have your eyes and your hair, but she'll have my nose and mouth." He kissed my forehead and leaned down to rub his nose against mine, "And she'll be strong in the Force, very talented."

"I wish it was a boy.  A boy with your eyes and your silly grin." I said softly.

"No, I wouldn't trade our little girl for anything, and we can have another one, that one will be a boy."  He said it with a faraway look in his eyes and I knew we'd have a boy too someday.

But Yoda had not been nearly so enthusiastic. "A man grown and Jedi Master are you!  Know how to prevent this you should!  Use protection did you?"

"Of course my master-"

"Why then is the captain pregnant? His eyes bulged almost out of their sockets, and for Yoda, that was saying something.

Obi-wan was the soul of calm tranquility; "No birth control is 100% perfect.  I expect it failed."

"Used the Force you could to prevent this." The tiny master pounded his walking stick on the floor.

"Yes, a-hem, sometimes I do that, but this time we had been apart for a long time, and I was thinking more of her than any possible outcome.  That's the reason we used protection actually, normally I just take care of it."

Yoda looked back and forth between us, "Want the child I suppose you do?"

I couldn't stop myself from saying it; at that point I was the angry one.  "That's kind of a stupid question."

The big yellow eyes fixed on me and narrowed.  I instantly knew exactly why students feared him.  Then the wrinkled green countenance relaxed into one of impudent amusement.  "Married you should be then."

My mouth dropped open and I blinked stupidly, but Obi-wan shouted, "Yes!"  He had been standing calmly beside me, now he knelt and took my hand, "Master Yoda is right love, and say you'll marry me."

I looked from one to the other, earnest young Jedi Master to wizened green one. "Really?" I asked Yoda.

"To Obi-wan your answer you must give."

Looking down at the hand that covered mine I knew that my life as I had known it was over.  My independence, my freedom had ended.  No longer was I a freighter captain who helped the Republic and the Jedi when needed and tended to my own affairs other wise.  No longer would I meet Obi-wan when I could and go for months, sometimes nearly a year with a holo our only contact.  Even if I said no, the child belonged to us both.  But if I said yes, it would no longer be my life and his life; it would be both of us living his life.

"No Del, it will be OUR life.  It's been our life since the day we meet, we've just postponed it." He squeezed my hand.

"For once Kenobi, get out of my head!" I jerked my hand free and walked across the room to look out at the endless city.  We were in the council chambers, empty of its members now.  There would never be another council meeting in that room.  Three of the members who had meet there before were dead and soon many more would be, though we did not know it at the time.  But I sensed it; even as the life within me grew, the world we had known died.  Perhaps that was why I was so upset.  As all around me old ways died, I wanted at least one thing to continue as it had.

"Meant to happen this was." He had moved up close to me while I pondered the view.  Looking down, I saw compassion in the wrinkled little face and lowered myself to one knee. "Needs you he does.  More difficult his task grows with every passing day.  Danger and betrayal his future holds, only you can give him the strength he needs to see it through."

"But what about me Master?  Do I have to throw all my wants and needs to the wayside?"

"Love him do you?"

"Yes."

"Committed to him you did, long ago.  Important his task is, on this ALL depends.  More important I think, than how fast a ship gets to Kessel and back."

I rolled my eyes, then looked over Yoda's head at the waiting Obi-wan. "He is awfully nice."

"Yes?"

"And quite good-looking."

The little master made a disgusted face.

"Oh, alright.  I don't suppose anything better is likely to come up."  I stood and walked across the floor, putting my hands in his.  "O.k., yes.  If you promise to lose that awful beard until after the baby comes."

He chuckled, "If you promise to spend less than an hour in the bathroom every morning."

"Unless I need to for the baby I promise."

Yoda cleared his throat, "Are those the vows you wish to make?"

I looked down at him, "What?  Why?"

"Need to hear your vows I do, if marriage service you wish me to perform."

"You can do that?"

"Of course."

 Obi-wan laughed and pulled me close, then turned slightly to face his master. "We're ready Master."

So that was it.  And now, aside from being Mount Baby, I was also Mrs. Kenobi.  It was wonderful and frightening at once.  

I followed his orders for exactly five days.  Then I demanded to accompany Lan to the market.  Susendra insisted on going to protect me if I was to leave the compound.  Too delighted to going outside I acquiesced without a complaint.  We went every day then, the three of us, for the next week.  On the fifth day our adventures ended.

He appeared across the market.  One minute not there, then that tall handsome profile that I recognized developed before my eyes.  I didn't hesitate for a moment, "Ani!  Jedi Skywalker!"  I jumped as much as I could and waved my arms. He turned to look for the person calling his name and I saw, even at that distance, the change in his features, the evil that lived there.  When his eyes met mine, the creature I'd seen vanished and I doubted my impression.  His sunny smile met mine and he hurried to me through the crowd.

At 22 Anakin was a formidable sight.  More than two meters tall, wide at the shoulder, dressed all in black, he parted the crowd like a rampaging bantha though he moved slowly.  "Lady Jerika!  Force, you're about to explode!  He laid his hands on either side of my belly.  I had a sudden urge to jerk back, but suppressed it. 

Yes Ani, a little sister for you."  I made myself hug him and he melted against me, chasing that cold, scary feeling away.  "I've missed you kid.  I haven't felt safe without my Jedi around me."  In later years I wondered what it was I said wrong.  The sweetness my hug had rekindled died and in spite of everything that Obi-wan would do later, I always thought that he was lost at that moment.

"**All your Jedi are gone?  Obi-wan went off and left you alone?" His hands tightened on my arms, bruising the sensitive skin.  "Where is he _Mrs. Kenobi? Gone looking for his lost padawan has he?"  The sneer on his face matched the sarcasm of his words._**

"Ani, stop it, you're hurting me." 

"As much as you hurt me _Aunt when you stole his affection?"_

"What the f-k are you talking about?" I was more than a little confused by his behavior.  He'd gone missing for months, now here he was on Coruscant, right under our noses.

"He thought he could replace Qui-gon in my heart and he did.  And I thought I had replaced Qui-gon in his, maybe I even had, but then YOU showed up!"  All trace of sarcasm or humor had vanished from his face.  Anger, fear and Goddess help me, hate made him look 33 instead of 22.  "You, another maverick, another person living by their own rules.  He couldn't help but love you!  You couldn't just f—k him a couple of times and let it go could you?  Oh no, you had keep showing up, taking him away from me!" The venom in the hiss of his words made my face burn with shame, even though I knew what he said was unjustified. 

 "Anakin, I love you as much as any mother could.  How many times have you saved my life?  How many times have I listened to you tell me your troubles, soothed your hurts?  I fell in love with Obi-wan first, but you've been in my heart from the first moment we met!"

He ignored the last part of what I said, "I had a mother Jerika.  One I loved and who loved me, one the Jedi wouldn't save and wouldn't let me save."

"I know, and I never agreed with that, neither did Obi-wan.  How many times did he try to get the council to let him free her?  A dozen?  More?  He loves you!  He'd die for you!  Here I am four weeks away from laying this damned egg and he leaves me because he hears a vague rumor of where you maybe, possibly could have been a month ago!"  His grip on my arms loosened.  I thought perhaps I was getting through to him.  That, of course, was the moment my passenger decided to tell me she didn't care for me being in pain and shouting.  Nor did she like being shoved against this scary stranger.

He laid a hand on my belly and this time I did shrink back, but he still held me firmly and said in a new, calm, emotionless voice that scared me more than his fury.  "She is strong in the force, she would have made a formidable Jedi."

I tried again to pull away and succeeded this time,  "W-w-would have?"  All my blood pooled in my stomach, my limbs went cold and my knees buckled.  Susendra, who had watched the encounter silently, now stepped between Anakin and I while Lan wrapped her arms around me and kept me on my feet, even though black spots appeared before my eyes.

"You must leave now, your presence is upsetting the lady."  Susendra, despite her small stature was a formidable bodyguard.  An adversary twice her size was left bloodied and broken from confrontations where she barely broke a sweat.  Anakin knew none of this and he didn't bother finding out.  

"I'm sorry, I don't have time for this."  His face twisted into a vicious sneer and he lifted one black-gloved hand, clenching his fist.  Susendra made a gargling noise and clutched her throat.  We watched, unable to do anything as she collapsed to her knees, then her face, twitched once or twice, and then lay still.

I looked at Anakin's face and found it cold, cruel and twisted into a façade of evil pleasure.  My limbs froze and all the blood rushed from my head.  The baby sensed my distress and kicked frantically.  ~ Obi-wan our son is dead, Goddess save our daughter. ~  My knees sagged and I slipped into the first faint of my life.

+++++

Black clouds rolled over the sky, their undersides laced with green and purple, giving notice that a storm of enormous proportions was on its way.

"Father!  Look at this!  You cannot mean for this to happen!"  The older woman looked down at the still pool at the base of the tree on the top of the hill.

"Events proceed as they must daughter, I cannot intervene."

"But the boy, t-the baby…Jerika!"

"She set these events in motion.  The Force must have balance.  It may not be achieved as she planned, but it will be the end result."

+++++

No matter what planet you are on, med-bays smell the same.  So I knew I was in one before I opened my eyes.  And there were two people in the room with me, but they were not Susendra and Lan.  I peeked out to find Anakin and another black-clad figure along with a standard med-droid watching me.

"Lady J, allow me to introduce you to my new master."  The man beside Anakin reached up and pulled back the deep cowl that hid his face.  I was a lot less surprised than I thought I would be.

"Well your eminence, you managed to fool quite a large number of people.  How did you manage to fool the entire Jedi council?"

"People see what they wish to see, Mrs. Kenobi, though I doubt it will stay a secret much longer.  It is of little concern.  Those my apprentice has not taken care of the propaganda will destroy."  I looked again at Anakin and thought of the Jedi that had disappeared over the last year – scientists, scholars, and two-thirds of the council.  ~ Oh Ani, why, Why?! ~ 

Raising myself up on my elbows I attempted to brazen it out.  I inclined my head to the emperor, "Very effective, I'm impressed.  So what do you want with me?  I'm not a Jedi and your plans are already a success."

He smiled and the temperature in the room dropped fifteen degrees.  "No defeat of the Jedi would be complete without Kenobi."

I nodded, "Too bad I don't know where he is."

"Yes, it would be simpler for everyone involved if we could just pluck the information out of your head.  However, I'm sure he is listening for you, so the right persuasion and you will likely bring him to us."

"Not for anything.  Any promise you'd make to do or not do something to myself or my child would be a lie."

He chuckled like a fond uncle and I wondered if it was possible to go insane from fear, "That is true Madam, but we are not talking about making a deal."

I swallowed, having no comeback for that line.

"Let us begin then shall we?"  He turned to the droid,  "You may proceed."  The droid turned and pressed a dermal spray to my neck and pulled the trigger.  In minutes, a ripple of squeezing pain ripped through me and another followed right on its heels.  The shriek it ripped from my lips echoed through the room and was joined in my mind by the baby's own force cry.  I bit my lip and merely grunted through the next dozen.  ~ Hang in there with me little one, we will be just fine. ~

~ Mama!  You are scared! ~

~ Yes, but we are together, it will be alright. ~

~ Where is Daddy? ~

That was a damn good question.  ~ He'll be here soon darling, very soon. ~  One way or another, I knew this was true.  Try as I might, Obi-wan would be listening for this very event, and not being a Jedi, there was little I could do to block him out.  With the contractions right on top of each other he'd feel my pain and the baby's fear on the other side of the galaxy.  Worse, I could feel we were really getting down to business, and doing it much faster than we should.

"Any reason why – argh – we've got to – Ooh! Do this at lightspeed?"

"It is more likely to have the desired effect my dear."

"Which is?"

"Your death or the child's of course, that should bring Kenobi on the run."

Only my concern for the baby kept me from blacking out.  "Not very good bait if we are dead."

"We only need one of you.  Even if you did break down and cry out for help he may not hear it, but he should feel either death no matter where he is."  He cackled again and a whimper escaped my lips, how the hell could I protect my daughter from that?

And his words were true and even more terrifying.  Obi-wan, a man who hadn't rushed into a situation unprepared since he was 16 would not stop to think for an instant if he felt my death or our baby's.  I couldn't even save him with my silence.  He would come, no matter what I did.

The emperor turned away from me and went to the wall terminal for something I could not see.  No matter how they hastened this birth it was still my first and likely to take some time.  ~ Well nothing like catching up on the paperwork I guess. ~  Looking away from the emperor, my gaze met Anakin's.  He tried to look away, but I held him, reaching toward him with one hand.  He looked at my hand, then at the emperor.  Wordlessly he grasped my fingers.  I pulled him to me with a strength I didn't know I had.  "Promise me something!"  I hissed between the pains.

"I can't –"

"You can!  You f-king owe me!  For love, for friendship, for your first Corellian ale, for your first lay!  You owe me for f-king droid parts if you want to be petty!"

He shook with some nameless emotion and his voice nearly broke, "What then?"

"Take care of her."

He paled and started to shake his head, but a contraction hit me just then and I squeezed his hand, grinding the bones together as painfully as possible and locked his eyes with mine.  "My daughter must live!  You **will take care of her!"**

A heartbeat, two, three, and then slowly, slowly, he nodded.

I nodded in return and then screamed in his ear as the next contraction hit.  The emperor whipped around to see me screaming and Anakin's face once again twisted with cruelty.  "Yell all you want, he won't get here in time to save you!"  He shouted at me, but the desperate pleading on the face turned to me gave me a tiny spark of hope.  Maybe we could hang on long enough for a rescue after all.

"Oh yes, he'll come.  And you will have to face the truth of what you've done."  I closed my eyes and boosted by the pain of the next contraction sent my thought out in a last desperate plea.  ~ Obi-wan!  Help! ~  I opened my eyes to watch the emperor cackle with dark glee.  "Don't get too excited your unholiness.  He's been kicking your ass for 12 years without even knowing whose ass he was kicking.  If you think giving him an actual target to focus on is going to make it easier to defeat him, you are gravely mistaken."

His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned.  The delight in his eyes vanished, and some of the confidence too.  "We shall see Mrs. Kenobi, we shall see."

+++++

Everyone has weaknesses.  So it was with Palpatine.  After the defeat of his apprentice on Naboo he had kept a low profile and been very careful to keep his machinations as far from the watchful eyes of Obi-wan Kenobi as possible.  The temptation to turn the general's apprentice, however, had just been too strong.  Anakin's anger was so strong and multi-layered, that turning him to the dark had been almost too easy.  So now that he had the apprentice on his side, the wife in his power, and the Jedi order in ruins, he felt confident enough to take the last step to destroy Kenobi.

The general would arrive to find his wife and/or his child dead, and his apprentice not only turned to the dark side, but party to his family's demise.  The emperor couldn't help smiling when he pictured the look on Kenobi's face.  And when the Jedi was dead, Palpatine would have his body preserved as a reminder to others, a trophy to gloat about, and a last debasement of the Jedi.  Their greatest hero would be denied an honorable cremation.  Every time the picture came into his head, Palpatine chuckled with glee.

The emperor's confidence came from his knowledge of the Jedi.  He felt he knew Kenobi better than his own wife did.  Indeed he had studied the man for years, and now he had Vader's intimate knowledge from which to draw upon.  But a tiny voice in the back of his head said that this man had defeated an extremely talented and well-trained apprentice when the Jedi had been barely more than a boy.  In thirteen years how much stronger had such a man become?  Still, Kenobi knew nothing about him, the emperor, so he definitely had the upper hand.  But the tiny voice would not be silent. 

Palpatine ignored the voice, and ignored some of his own observations, for Obi-wan had not left Coruscant.  The emperor had assumed that Kenobi would chase after any substantial rumor of Anakin regardless of the cost. But, although he might have wanted to, Obi-wan would never actually leave the planet with Jerika less than a month away from her time.

He was nothing if not practical. Obi-wan had disguised himself and Jerika, then left her so that no one could trace his force signature and find her too.  However much he might love Anakin, logic demanded he look at the boy's disappearance objectively.  Doing so he could only admit three possibilities.  One – that Anakin was dead, Two – that he was a captive, Three – that he had turned.  Number one wasn't true, surely Obi-wan would have felt his death.  Number two; he would have been able to find some clue as to who was holding him.  That left the very painful number three, which try as he might, he could not discount; it fit the evidence better than any other solution.  

So even though the pain was just as devastating when he felt Jerika's cry for help, he was prepared for it.  And though he rushed headlong to save her, his heart crying out in wordless agony, his Jedi calm remained, his mind clear.  Neither the emperor or his new apprentice was read for the fight that was headed for them, but Obi-wan was.

+++++

"The patient is fully dilated sir, shall I proceed?"

"Yes, immediately."  I came back from my second blackout of the day to see the emperor rubbing his hands together in dark delight.  The med-droid reached down to pull my daughter into the world as an all-mighty contraction pushed from the inside.  I dragged a screaming-growl from the depths of my soul and sat up, shoving with all my might.

A faint mewling noise came from the tiny creature the droid lifted up and then an angry shriek split the air.  He held her up for me to see.  A thick crop of bright red hair, only a shade darker than her skin, covered the baby's head.  Her tiny face resembled a clenched fist at the moment as she drew her first full breath and screamed in newborn indignation. I forgot everyone and everything but her and reached out for one tiny hand.  She stopped howling and gripped my finger, her little face relaxing into a miniature, and baby-fied version of Obi-wan's.

"Oh darling, you look just like your father!"  I cried out, trying to take her from the med-droid.  But I was too slow and Anakin snatched her up and laid her on a nearby table.  "No!  My baby!  Give her back to me!  Lila! Give her back!"  I tried to climb down from the table, only the arms of the med-droid catching me.  "Anakin!  **Give me my daughter!"  I screamed out and the baby joined me, her angry wails rising in pitch.**

The emperor had joined Anakin at the table, and the crying abruptly cut off.  I went suddenly cold as a great hollow darkness filled my spirit.  The sense of the baby I had felt through the Force vanished.  Palpatine turned a glacial smile on me.

"Forgive us my dear, babies are so fragile." He took a step to one side and I was able to see the completely perfect, completely still form of my daughter.  

When my father died I felt the bottom drop out of my world.  Now the world simply ceased to exist.

+++++

On the hill, beneath the great tree, all was dark and silent.

+++++

The man getting out of the speeder froze in his tracks and more than one passerby stopped to look at him.  His handsome face suddenly crumpled in on itself and he dropped to his knees, one hand bracing him on the ground, the other clenched against his chest, covering the heart that was breaking inside.  Those who had stopped instinctively continued on, knowing without knowing how they did, that touching this man would be a mistake.  He made no sound, though his mouth was open as though held by a vise.  What felt to him like ten minutes but was in reality only one, went by as he knelt frozen in position.  Then he closed his mouth, drew in a deep breath from his nose and screamed a soul wrenching, "NNNNOOOOOOOOO!!" Into the air of the plaza.  For a moment it looked as though he would stay like that, his sorrow freezing him forever.  Instead he climbed to his feet, dashed angrily at his eyes with one sleeve, and started up the steps into the half-built imperial palace.  One small man, his face set in such grim lines that the guards simply stepped back without a word and let him by.  ~ I'm coming Palpatine; I hope you're ready. ~

+++++

When I swam up out of the foul darkness that had claimed my consciousness it was to the sound of a barely recognizable voice shouting at the med-droid.

"Where is she?!  Where's our daughter?!  Tell me now or I swear no one will ever be able to put you back together again!"  I had seen Obi-wan angry before, but it lasted seconds and he never raised his voice.  Now he sounded as though anger was all he'd ever felt and he'd been shouting for hours.  

I blinked slowly, then rapidly, trying to bring him into focus to tell him to stop pounding on the table.  Flailing blindly I at last succeeded in grabbing his hand.

His grip was firm and comforting and his voice, though still hoarse, became calm and reassuring, "Del, darling, wake up now.  I am here and everything is going to be all right, but we have to –"

"No, n-nothing's ever gonna be-"

"Shhh – hush now sweetheart.  Focus for me, sit up." He slid an arm under my shoulders and raised me up. "Good, that's my girl.  Can you open your eyes for me?  Come on, that's the way."

I leaned weakly against him, trying to bring my vision into focus.  When I did, I wondered where he got the strength to hold me up.  Blisters decorated the side of his face where the hair had been singed to stubble.  Blood oozed from a cut above his left eye and trickled from the corner of his mouth.  His tunic was shredded; numerous burn marks decorated the holes.  The knees were out in his trousers and the buckles were broken on one boot.

Bringing my eyes up to meet his I whispered, "Wow, I'd hate to see the other guy."

Grief and pain filled his eyes, "He's dead." And I knew he didn't mean the emperor.

"No! You-you didn't have to-"

"No, I-I didn't.  He fell, I couldn't reach him…I tried – oh Del-" He swallowed, his eyes filling with tears.

I cupped his face with my hands, careful not to touch the burn, "Oh Obi, don't, I'm sure you d-did everything you could love." I kissed his unblistered cheek.

"I did! Del, h-he-he turned back!  I convinced him, but the emperor was too strong, and so foul, and Anakin was so angry…" His eyes met mine and all his Jedi control seemed gone.  "When did I ever say Anakin was a burden? Never!  Our, m-my…" He pressed his forehead to mine and whispered, "My son-"

I knew we should go pursuit couldn't be far.  I could feel the ugly dark beast called grief lurking just out of sight creeping ever closer to consume me and take away the comforting numbness that was making the coherent thought that would get us out of here possible.  But the rock my world was built on was crumbling before my eyes and I could not force him to do anything.  Instead I held him, stroking his back as he sobbed.

Only in rare moments like this did this man get to be a MAN. For a brief span he was a fallible being, not the superhuman Jedi who had no emotion and could do not wrong.  Awful to behold as his pain was, I knew he needed some release in order to be functional.

When he calmed slightly I took the cloth the droid held out to me and gently whipped away the blood on his temple and then the rest of his face. It stopped the bleeding and the machine gently turned Obi-wan's head to spray something on the burn, the redness and blisters faded almost immediately.

"Here sir, drink this."  I took the cup from the 'droid and held it to Obi-wan's lips, watching him drink it down.

"Ug, that was terrible, what was it?"

"A restorative.  It will set your internal injuries and give you some energy."

"Good, I believe I will need it.  Now please, tell me what happened to our daughter?"  His face was restored to its usual calm demeanor.  The droid was less so.  I wondered how a being with no facial expression managed to convey fear and shame, but the robot achieved it nicely.

"The emperor and Lord Vader took the body with them when they left.  They ordered me to kill the lady, but it is against all my programming to do harm and I could not."

"You did what you could to save her.  I think I can repay you for sparing my wife." He squeezed my hand and smiled briefly at me, then got to his feet and unclipped his saber, igniting the blade. His eyes rested on the blade, frozen for an instant.  Then he sighed and squared his shoulders, and turned to the droid.  "You can tell them I came in and took her away and you could do nothing about it."  So saying he swung the blade and cut the droid from its base, knocking it to the floor with a crash.  He switched off the blade and turned to me, taking my hands as the general took over from the man again. 

"Come on Del, it's time to go."  He pulled me to my feet and helped me into my clothes then towed me to the doorway and looked out.

"Obi-"

"Hush, we can talk when we get out of here."

"No!  I-I just want you to know, I d-did, I-I tried to save her, tried to get them angry enough to kill me instead, but it didn't – I'm s-sorry-"

Pulling me tightly to him he stopped my words with a kiss.  He moved his hands to cup my face gently, but his kiss was fierce, not passionate but reassuring, as though trying to share his strength with me. Stopping, keeping his forehead pressed to mine he whispered.  "Then you would both be dead and I could not go on without you."  He leaned back and slid his arms down to cradle me against his chest.  His eyes met mine and he dredged up a smile from somewhere. "You are all that's normal, easy, joyous in my life.  How can I do what I must without you to come back to?  You are my life now, how can I live without my life?" He kissed my forehead gently, "We've spent all this time apart, but never again."  He turned and checked the hallway again, then took my arm, holding it firmly.  "Be my brave Del again, because we've still got to get out of here."


	10. Early Retirement

Early Retirement 

Disclaimer – See Chapter One

**Early Retirement**

Bail Organa strode down the main hall of the living quarters of Alderran's royal palace.  Turning the corner at the end, he found Obi-Wan right where he expected to, standing in his usual spot staring out at the formal gardens.  Behind him, sitting on a cushioned bench against the wall sat his wife Jerika.  Unlike her husband, the former smuggler was busy with some form of primitive stichery.  While the Jedi seemed content to stare out at Alderran's vistas for hours on end with nothing else to divert him, she always had something in her hands.  They seldom spoke, but the only time in the past year he had found them apart, was during the birth of the twins.

Obi-Wan had sat outside with Bail, the two of them silently sharing a bottle of Malastarian brandy.  Jerika was inside with the other women and it was she who came out when the action was over.  Walking silently up to them she took the bottle from Bail, downed the last third of it and said to Obi-Wan, "The boy was first, he's fair like An – like his father. The girl's dark like her mother."  Obi-Wan nodded, climbed wearily to his feet, started for the room, then stopped suddenly and kissed her deeply.  For that one moment they held each other tightly and then he went into the bedroom and she took his seat on the bench.  Bail realized it was the actions of grandparents; ones whose only child is dead and now must love his children instead.

Coming back to the present with a jerk he spoke softly, "I've had word from Coruscant."

"The emperor finally started looking for us has he?"  Kenobi spoke without looking up.

"Yes, and he has a new chief of intelligence in charge of the search, Darth Vader."  Obi-Wan spun towards him, his normally pale features so colorless as to be termed gray.

"No!  It cannot be true!  I-I saw him die, felt him pass into the Force!"  Kenobi grabbed the front of Bail's shirt and actually dragged him off his feet, lifting the taller man up and shaking him.  Bail grunted and tried to pull the other man's hands away to no avail.  Jerika ran up beside them, sucking her thumb for some reason and pulled on Obi-Wan's shoulder.

"Stop!  Ben put him down!"  She punched him once in the shoulder for emphasis.  It worked, Kenobi focused on Bail and a look of profound weariness filled his face.  He lowered the man to the ground and sighed.  Then he turned slowly to Jerika, buried his face on her shoulder and began to weep.  Not the silent grieving that Bail had once seen, that sort of noble suffering he'd done when the Jedi temple had been pulled down.  This was agony, pure and simple, in all its ugly harshness.  His hands clutched at the cloth of her tunic, the tough fabric tearing at the seams as he clenched his fists so tightly he appeared to be trying to push his bones through his skin.

Great braying sobs issued from the grieving man and his shoulders shook as though he was about to fly to pieces.  They echoed down the great marble corridors, ricocheting back and forth until Bail imagined that this was the sound of the Force itself crying out its grief. 

Jerika held him, not a spark of emotion showing on her face.  One arm encircled his waist tightly, the other wrapped around his shoulder, her hand slowly stroking his hair.  Silent tears flowed down her cheeks unheeded.

Bail stared at her uncomprehending, his eyes begging an answer.  She met his gaze and whispered,  "He turned, but Obi-Wan brought him back, he did.  He died, but he died a Jedi.  The emperor must have, must have – " Jerika's eyes closed and her face crumpled as she too began to shake.

"But what do you mean?  What has that go to do with this Vader person?"  Bail stared at them in confusion.

Obi-Wan lifted his face from Jerika's shoulder, but it was a face Bail didn't recognize.  It was the face of a man who has gone through the most unimaginable of horrors and lived to tell the tale, managed to salvage something from it, only to realize the one great accomplishment of his life has turned into the greatest horror of all.  "Vader…**is**…Anakin."  And he straightened, shoved Jerika to one side, strode to the wall and picked up the bench she had been sitting on (it was marble and Bail estimated it weighed as much a full-grown bantha), carried it back across the room, gaining momentum as he did, and hurled the bench through the window.  Bail turned away, but even as he did he saw that Obi-Wan was shielding them from the fragments.

The resulting crash was tremendous. The ceiling was five meters above their heads and Obi-Wan had managed to hit the window about mid level so the entire section, about three meters wide, exploded out into the gardens.  He walked to the edge of the window, and for a moment Bail thought he was going to jump, (they were three stories up) but instead he opened his mouth and screamed, "PALPATINE!  You won't succeed, you won't!  You may have taken my children, but you won't take Anakin's!  I'll protect them, and when they've grown they'll destroy you!  The Jedi will rise again!  You won't defeat me!  The Jedi will return and your evil will die!  I swear it!"  He fell to his knees, heedless of the broken glass, "I swear it!" He sobbed. 

+++++

I watched him pace back and forth before the bed, wondering if the carpet could withstand his abuse or if it would give out and just the let the floor take over.  Perhaps the only room of its kind in the royal palace of Alderran the walls were hung with tapestries depicting nighttime scenes of ancient Jedi knights engaged in battle with light sabers blazing.  Where the walls could be seen the stonework was old and deep gray in color.  The carpets were a dark wine red as were the draperies that were usually kept closed.   Our bed sat at one end of the room, huge and built of a wood so dark it looked black, it was draped with heavy, dark quilts and we could sleep comfortably all night without touching.  On the other end of the room was a large table of the same dark wood.  Data pads, maps, empty glasses, and other old bits that made up the paperwork side of war covered its surface, making it nearly impossible to see the top of the table. Above all this hung from the vaulted ceiling a massive chandelier of some black metal that made it look like an enormous spider's web.  Although it blazed with thirty or so lights, it could do little to dispel the gloom.

The rest of the palace was nothing like this.  You found nothing but fluted columns and white marble in the other rooms and halls.  Only here in our inner sanctum did you find such darkness. According to his current mood, I couldn't be surprised that Obi-Wan chose this room.  I sat on the bench before the room's only window, working on my newest piece of embroidery and watching my husband wear holes in the carpet.  He had been like this for the last week, ever since we heard of the emperor's new right hand man.  The worry was starting to eat away at what was left of my sanity, but I refused to argue with him about this.  If he wanted to act like a caged shiska-cat I would not fight him, strangle him in his sleep, but never fight him.

Apparently my silence had at last penetrated his consciousness for he suddenly turned to me, "I have a plan."

"About time."  I didn't look up from my stitching for more than a quick glance, seeing him actually holding still.

"We will separate them."

"Separate who, dear?"

"The twins.  I will leave Leia here with Padme.  She can pose as one of Analya Organa's handmaidens and still watch over the girl."

"I'm sure that will be a very popular decision." My hands continued their busy work, "And Luke?"

"I'll take him myself and give him to some one else to raise, then stay nearby to protect him."  He began pacing again, chewing on his thumbnail.  "There's one place where his father will never go to look for him, no matter how badly he'd like to."

"Tatooine."

He whirled about, the most emotion he'd shown me in weeks plain on his face. "Damn you're quick woman!"

"Thanks, I try to pay attention to what's going on around me most of the time."  I answered calmly, despite the fact that I had stopped sewing so I could simply hold my hands still lest he see them shaking. As per usual lately, he completely missed the implied criticism in the statement.

Turning, he clasped his hands behind his back and studied the hanging on the wall across from my window.  It depicted a Jedi and a Sith locked in battle.  Drawn with a silver outline, the Sith was a black shape with a white snarling face that barely showed within the cowl of his hood.  The Jedi was, of course, all in white, and surrounded by a golden nimbus.  His face was serene and his blue blade blazed against the red of the Sith's.  The piece was more than a thousand years old, but it looked newly finished – not simply because of its superior quality, but also because the Jedi looked so much like Obi-Wan himself.  No surprise at all that it was my favorite and he hated it.  Oddly enough, I almost never looked at it, and he stared at it all the time.

"Neither of them will suspect Leia is his daughter, and they won't find Luke and I out there on the edge of the galaxy."  He turned back to me, but I was of course still busy with my work.  I hadn't – **had not **looked up at the wall hanging and then at his shoulders, begging him with my eyes to turn to me and hold me again.  Why would I do such a thing?  "And you'll stay here as well.  Padme can blend in, but she's not a fighter.  If it comes to defending the girl, that's where you'll come in."

"I think it's a brilliant plan except for one thing."

"What?  I didn't leave anyone out…" He fingered his beard thoughtfully.

"I'm not staying here"

His head jerked up and he looked directly at me for the first time in weeks. "And why not?"

"Because I'll stick out like a sore thumb.  Your Padme's the chameleon, not me.  My work as a spy only succeeded because I continued to be myself.  I still smuggled my cargo, I just listened where I shouldn't now and then as well.  Remember what a disaster it was the one time I tried to actually go in disguise?  'Jerika the smuggler, sure, everyone knows her!  But Jerika the nursemaid?'  Why don't I just give myself to the emperor right now?"

At last!  A reaction!  His eyes bulged and his mouth thinned while his jaw clenched in fury.  He stared at me for a moment, then stalked up to me, grabbed me by the upper arms and dragged me bodily from the window seat, shaking me so hard my head snapped back and forth.  "You contrary stubborn little…BITCH!  Are you ever going to do what I tell you?"  He gave me one better shake for emphasis and pulled me close, almost nose to nose.

Suddenly I was closer to him than I'd been in months (except for the day we found out about Anakin, and that lasted for less than a minute).  I was torn between wanting to grab him and hold on so tight he couldn't let me go again or pulling away so I could pull back an arm and punch his lights out. Swallowing the tears that threatened to burst from my eyes I croaked out, "I'll do whatever you say, as long as you stop trying to send me away."

He looked suddenly stricken and released my arms.  I put my palms flat on his chest before he could turn away, and held his gaze with mine.  "You said when we left Coruscant that we'd never be apart again."

Shaking his head, his hands opened and closed in the empty air just outside my arms, "But if you are with me you might-"

"No, its more dangerous here alone.  He's going to look for all of us, and I would be a red flag shouting 'Skywalker child!'  On the other hand, who's going to look twice at an old retired couple living out in the desert?"  I could see him starting to turn away from me again and anger finally raised up to push aside my grief and pain in a burning red tide of fury.  "Or maybe you think I deserve some punishment for not following your high and mighty Jedi orders before!  You can't blame me for the destruction of the Jedi, but if I hadn't been out of the house then you might have found Anakin-

"I don't think that Del, you know I-"

"And the baby might still be-"

"NO! NEVER!" One minute I was talking to his shoulder, the next he was holding me by the shoulders, shaking me again and shouting in my face.  His voice rose in pitch, and became hoarse and weak as it did only when he was truly upset, "Darling Del you must never think that!  Never!"  He pulled me against him and held me in a crushing grip, still whispering, "Never, never…"

I was still so angry and at the same time relieved to have him holding me again.  Love is a big pain in the ass.  His whispering voice suddenly penetrated my confusion and I knew what he was doing.  Leaning back I looked up at him, brushing the tears off his cheeks and searching through the lines and pain for the truth I had suddenly hit upon.  "You blame yourself don't you?  _For all of it._  For Anakin, for the Jedi, for the b-baby…you think its all your fault don't you?"

He looked down at his boots, "Aye, well, isn't it?  Who didn't train the boy p-properly, who wouldn't believe and warn people in time?  Me.  I was the one who dragged you out of your life and into mine, got you pregnant and then didn't stay with you.  All my people, all our learning, Ani – Oh Force! It hurts so! – And, our, our little girl…" I wrapped my arms tightly around him and held him as he went completely to pieces.  He had never grieved for more than that few minutes back on Coruscant and I realized that his coldness had been this blame eating away at his soul.

Gently, I led him over to the window seat and held him, reveling in the chance to do so.  I rocked him and hummed tunelessly, stroking his hair as I leaned my cheek against his shoulder.  After what seemed an hour he slowly got control of himself, sitting up and wiping his nose on his sleeve, smiling sheepishly at me.

"Oh that's just disgusting Kenobi.  That is the main reason I hate that fucking beard.  I suppose you think you're going to kiss me with that mouth?"

He blinked in surprise and then unbelievably, he laughed.  "Oh Del!"  He hugged me tight and then he did kiss me.  "How can you want to spend years in exile with me, after all I've done?"

I shook my head, "I've no idea.  You are moody, self-indulgent and you smell like old socks.  It must be the sex."

He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

I kissed him lightly, "You are a good man.  Circumstances went beyond your control.  Could you have forced Anakin not to be angry?  You did warn the Jedi something bad was coming and they didn't listen.  How is that your fault?  And as for our Lilamara, how could you have known what the emperor had planned? What happened happened.  I forgive you for whatever you might have done wrong.  I love you, don't leave me alone, please."

He sighed and gave it one last desperate try, "And if coming with me gets you killed?  If you are here, alive, I can do what I have to, knowing…knowing my love is alive."

Shaking my head again, I moved to press my lips to his forehead and then laid my head on his shoulder.  "Asshole.  Foolish sodding Jedi hero, what sort of life would that be?  I'd rather spend 5 minutes with you in exile than 50 years alone."    

"It won't be five minutes, it'll be more like 20 years.  I can't ask you to-"

"Good, because you don't have to.  I'm going.  It'll take more than you to stop me."  I lifted my head from his shoulder and looked him right in the eye, smiling confidently.

A sweet, happy, stupid smile formed on his face, making him look suddenly like the boy I'd met all those years ago.  "I love you Jerika Lilamara Delorolo Kenobi, you and no one else."

"I love you too Obi-Wan, for a thousand years and beyond."


	11. The End of the Beginning

The End of the Beginning – In which an old married couple babysit a Jedi-to-be

Disclaimer – See first chapter.

Luke knew he wasn't supposed to wander away from his uncle, especially not in Anchorhead on market day, but there was the man with red and blue bird and the lady with the cakes that were so sweet…  Now he was alone.  There was no sign of his uncle and the crowds were thinning out and in the east he could see the first stars.  Oh he wasn't worried about being on his own, he could take care of himself he was sure, but he was worried about getting in trouble.

For a 6-year-old Luke was very self-reliant.  If he was also reckless and a bit wild, well he WAS a little boy after all.  When things did go wrong he could usually charm his aunt Beru into intervening, but she was back on the farmstead.  There would be no buffer between himself and his uncle's anger.

The change from twilight to dark was fast approaching, as it does in the desert.  Luke continued walking between the stalls; some closed already, some in the process of closing down.  His confidence began to wane and he began to panic.  The sense of his uncle that he had felt earlier, always just around the corner, so no need to really worry, was gone now.  Luke began to run and call out for his uncle. He was trying his best not to cry, but he could feel the heat behind his eyes that announced the tears were on their way.  Without looking where he was going he blundered around one stall, then danced out of the way of a pair of poles.  He turned to run the other way and ran smack into a pair of skirt-clad legs.

Clutching a fold of pale green homespun to keep from falling, Luke lifted his small face to look into a pair of flashing green eyes.  The face they were set in was an odd mixture of clever and sweet.  The woman looking down at him had lines at the corners of her eyes and a few on her forehead so he thought she might be near his aunt's age.  But unlike his aunt, her small rosebud of a mouth was a smile of amusement, and those eyes were bright with suppressed laughter at the small growth she had acquired.  His aunt Beru would have sighed with resigned patience at his running into her.  This lady, Luke felt, might somehow get him into more trouble than he was already in.

"Hey there laddie!  Slow down, the Boonta celebrations aren't for another month."  She laid a hand on his head and looked around at the disintegrating market booths.  "You're rather small to be out here by yourself.  Where are your folks?"

"I-I-I lost Uncle Owen a-awhile ago."  He gulped; unaware he was still clutching her skirt.

"Well that was rather careless of you… Say! Do you mean Owen Lars?  Are you Luke?"  He could not understand the look on her face.  The mischievousness had disappeared and was replaced by one that was sad and happy and sort of far away.  It was the same face old Gruder the mechanic made when he was about to tell a story of the old Republic.

"Yeah, I'm Luke Skywalker.  What's your name?  How do you know my uncle?  He tilted his head to the side a little.  She was stroking his hair, something she'd been doing since she said his name.  Luke found he was comforted by it, so he didn't object.

"You can call me Del, and I've known your uncle since before you were born.  We'd better find him, I'm sure he's-"

"-Halfway back to the farmstead by now."  Interrupted a new voice.  A man stood beside Luke's new friend.  He wore the typical dune-colored tunic and leggings of the planet, along with a heavy dark, hooded robe.  The hood was thrown back, revealing a face that looked older, but infinitely friendlier than his uncle's.  His blue eyes held the same light of resignation that his uncle's would, but none of the anger.  And even though his kind face looked older and more serious than the lady's, the covering close-cropped red beard and cropped reddish hair, with its streaks of white at the temples lent him a similarity to her.  He had the same impish air that said Luke had unintentionally hooked up with a couple that were about to make his life far more interesting. "Owen thought you might have started home without him when we couldn't find you, so he went home, and I continued to search."

The words pulled Luke's attention away from his study of the man back to the present situation, and his lower lip started to tremble and his eyes started to fill, "H-he left without me?"

The man dropped to one knee beside the boy and laid a hand on his shoulder.  "No lad, he went one way, I went the other so we could be sure you were safe."  He gave the sky a glance, noting the twilight was fast deepening into true night, and then shifted his gaze to Del.  "It's too late to make it out to the farm before dark, we'll take him home with us tonight."  Tilting his head and winking at the boy he smiled, "Well young Luke, it looks as though your adventure continues.  Don't worry, you'll be safe with us, and I'll call your aunt and uncle when we get to our speeder.  Relax, the worst that could happen to you with us is you might be bored to death."

"Speak for yourself Ben Kenobi!"  Del exclaimed, looking mock insulted, her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed.

Luke barely noticed her indignation.  His fear vanished and his attention was suddenly riveted on the man before him, apparently his judgment was correct. "Ben Kenobi!  My uncle says you're crazy!"

Del squawked, (that was the only word Luke could think of to describe the sound she made) and put a hand to her mouth, turning her back to them in a hurry, her shoulders silently shaking.

Ben rolled his eyes and grimaced in annoyance, mostly at her Luke thought.  "Well I think your uncle might have been a little hasty in his judgment.  Why don't you wait and decide for yourself?"  He reached out and scooped Luke into the crook of his arm and rose to his feet.  He gave the woman's back an exasperated look and shook his head.  "As you can see, no one has ever been bored in Del's presence, so between the two of us we should keep you entertained."

Del turned and narrowed her eyes, about to give the man a piece of her mind when Luke's stomach gave a growl like a wounded bantha.  As Ben laughed and Luke tried to hide a deep blush, her annoyance vanished,  "I thought we were having a little boy over for supper not a karyat draigon!  Come along you two, no one has ever been bored or starved in my company."

Ben shifted Luke in his arms to free a fold of his cloak to wrap around the boy.  They snickered together, following the woman to the waiting speeder.

"C-can I have another piece please?" Luke looked hopefully/bashfully up at Del.

"That would be your third piece young man.  If I give you any more you'll explode." She rolled her eyes and went back to her oven.

Luke turned to Ben, hoping to charm him into another helping, but the man forestalled any pleas with a shake of his head. "Save room for dessert, trust me."

He was right of course, and Luke was so full afterwards that he could barely move from his chair.  Ben smiled when he saw the boy yawn and said, "Let's find you a bed young one." He lifted the boy up once again.  Luke snuggled against his chest and Ben felt an unexpected pang of longing – for another boy he'd held, and a girl he never got to.

"I've made up the couch for him dear." Del walked past them, leading them into the small sitting room.  Luke tried to keep his eyes open, but was failing miserably, blinking owlishly past Ben's cheek.  The man settled him into the makeshift bed and the adults knelt, stripping his boots and outer tunic.  Del gently tucked the blankets around him and kissed him lightly, "Sleep well Balach biodheach." She brushed his hair from his forehead and left in a soft swish of green.

Ben sat on the table before Luke, his hands folded.  He placed them on his knees and stood, reaching out to pat Luke on the shoulder, before turning to leave.  The boy caught his hand before he could go and looked up into his eyes, "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

The man smiled, "Yes, and likely ever will see."

Trying desperately to stay awake, Luke clutched Ben's hand tighter, "Wha's a Balach biodheah?" He asked, butchering the words terribly.  Fortunately, Ben caught his meaning.

"It means beautiful boy in her native language.  It means she likes you."

Luke nodded, yawning hugely, but still stalling for time asked, "Will you tell me a story?"

Ben chuckled,  "You can barely keep your eyes open as it is!  Go to sleep Luke."

"I can, I can!"  The boy opened his eyes very wide.

Defeated more easily than he had ever been, Ben sat on the table again and sighed. "Alright, a short one.  A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, there lived a beautiful princess alone with her father…"

+++++

Ben walked into the kitchen, moving past the table where his wife swept up the last crumbs from dinner.  He took the dishes from the sanitizer and stacked them neatly in the cupboard.

"He's asleep?"  She asked, wringing out the cloth and tossing it in the recycler.

Without turning around he nodded, "Oh yes.  I didn't get three lines into the story before his eyes shut." 

She went to the doorway, resting her hand on the wall to look into the other room.  All she could see from there was the back of the child's head. "He looks just like his father doesn't he?"

"Yes." Ben slipped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "And if anything his powers are stronger.  When they grow up and he works in tandem with his sister there will be no power in the galaxy to stop them."

"Is that what you're hoping for?"  Her voice held a hint of steel to it, even though she laid her hands over his.  She had never had any power to interfere with Jedi machinations, but that didn't mean she'd learned to like them.

"Perhaps we can let him be a little boy for now?  Wasn't that part of plan in bringing out here to the ass of nowhere?" She turned, staying within the circle of his arms to lean against the side of the doorway and wrap her arms around his neck.

Ben obligingly moved with her and pulled her a little closer.  "Of course I will.  Why do you think he even lives with Lars's?  If I were going to train him as a Jedi in the normal way, I'd have kept him with us and started training him before he was old enough to walk.  Waiting until he grows up will be safer and perhaps work better for him.  He doesn't have a whole tem-" Ben's voice faltered and he cleared his throat before going on. Though he covered his hurt well with other people, she could still see the terrible pain that word cost him. "- Doesn't have any other students to work off of or commiserate with like his…like I did.  Once he's grown, he'll be able to train without having to go through growing up at the same time.  An adult's maturity will help him deal with the emotions of training, and the hard truths he's going to have to face." 

"But I'm hoping that one day," He said almost wistfully, "He will defeat the emperor and his apprentice.  With peace reestablished he and his sister could build the Jedi order anew."

"A more realistic order if possible this time, please sir?"

"Realistic?  In regards to what?"

She sighed, "Oh I don't know, a code that allows a man and woman, or whatever, to fall in love and get married?  Or allows people to join as adults?  Maybe an order where masters decide things for their apprentices rather than a council who barely knows them?"  Shaking her head, she turned to their bedroom, "Need I go on?"

"No, of course not, in fact I have a few rules I would change as well."  He followed her into the bedroom and sat on the bed to remove his boots.

As Del untied her tunic she turned to take his boots from him and set them in the open wardrobe.  "Indeed?  What rules would you change?"

"A more autonomous order, one that would assist the government, not be controlled by it, and a rotating council that every Jedi is required to serve on.  Study groups that would recommend changes to the rules as often as they are needed."  He gave her his pants to hang up and proceeded to the small fresher to finish preparing for bed.  She followed him, clad in nothing but her underdress.

"You've been thinking about this haven't you?  Del took the tie from her hair and brushed it out with long gentle strokes.

Ben put down the clippers he was using to trim his beard and took the brush from her to attend to her hair, thus allowing himself the pleasure of running his hands through it.  "Yes, since before the war.  So much could have been done different that would have saved the order, maybe even the Republic…"

She took hold of the hand wielding the brush, "Perhaps, and perhaps it was inevitable.  But as usual you've managed to turn the conversation so that it's all your fault, which is of course, nonsense."

He looked slightly offended, "I never said it was my fault.  I was merely pointing out what might have been-"

"-Had you not gone and f**ked it up.  Please don't start this again, your endless bouts of self-flagellation really bore the hell out of me."

"That's not what I said at all!  I was bloody agreeing with you that things should be changed, and had they been earlier, things might have turned out different!"

She cupped his cheek in one hand and smiled softly, "Luke will succeed, it will be a new and improved order, and there will be peace once again.  You are one man and what happened before was NOT the fault of just one man.  The plans you have laid for the future will have a good chance of succeeding because of all your hard work.  But even if they still fail, you did everything you could.  Try just a little, for me, to see that and forgive yourself."

Ben covered her hand with his own, "Do or do not, there is no try.  I will forgive myself, eventually, but I cannot do it all at once."

"Can you let it go, just for tonight?"  Del pressed close to him, smiling wickedly.

"Why yes," His smile answered hers and he bent so their lips touched, "I can, for tonight, for a thousand years if you'll let me."

She laughed, "For a thousand years?  Now that's Jedi stamina for you."

"Inspiration is highly underrated.  I can go for a thousand, thousand years with you my love."  He picked her up and deposited her on the bed and crawled in beside her, "The emperor can have the damn galaxy, I have you."

"You're getting romantic in your old age Kenobi."

"Ha!  Let's see how old you think I am in the next couple of hours."

It was a good thing Luke was a sound sleeper, little things like loud giggles and furniture banging against the wall never had any effect on him. 


End file.
